After a massive earthquake, Turkey’s major oil export hub in Ceyhan halted operations, stopping key crude oil flows from Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Azerbaijan (Reuters)
Meanwhile, Iraq’s Foreign Minister said discussion with the United States will consider how Iraq will pay Russian oil companies in light of international sanctions (Reuters)
Iran-Backed Militia Launches Rocket Attack On Turkish Military Base
The Islamic Resistance Ahrar al-Iraq Brigade, one of several Iran-backed militias in Iraq, claimed responsibility for an attack on a Turkish military base in Iraqi Kurdistan; an unnamed Turkish defense official told the Associated Press there were no casualties (AP)
Iraq, France Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement
The two countries pledged to boost cooperation in the energy and public transportation sectors during Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani’s visit to Paris (Reuters)
Protests in Baghdad Oppose Devaluation of Iraq’s Currency
Hundreds of people in Baghdad protested outside the Central Bank, calling for actions to stabilize the country’s currency after a recent devaluation (AP)
Jordan Hosts Regional Summit on Iraq
The summit yesterday included officials from France, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union; countries pledged to support stability in Iraq, which recently emerged from a yearlong political deadlock (AFP; AP)
Islamic State Fighters Kill Four Soldiers in Iraq
In the first such attack in almost a year, a group of Islamic State militants attacked an Iraqi army position in northwest Iraq, killing four soldiers and stealing their weapons and communications equipment (AP)
Iran Attacks Exiled Kurdish Opposition in Iraq
Iran launched missile and drone attacks targeting exiled Kurdish Iranian opposition groups in Iraq, killing at least two people; Tehran has blamed the groups for fueling Iran’s nationwide anti-government protests (NYT)
Iraq Suspends Return of Displaced Iraqis from Camp in Syria
New Iraqi Minister of Migration and Displacement Evan Faeq suspended the repatriation of Iraqi citizens from the al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, a notorious sanctuary for Islamic State fighters (Al-Monitor)
U.S. Aid Worker Killed In Baghdad
A U.S. aid worker was shot dead by unknown assailants in Baghdad yesterday, Iraqi police officials said; Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani said security agencies will investigate the killing (AP)
Iraqi Parliament Approves New Government
Iraqi lawmakers officially named Iran-aligned former labor and human rights minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani as prime minister and approved his cabinet, ending a political deadlock that followed elections last October (Reuters)
Two Injured in Car Bombing in Northern Iraq
The bomb went off in Sulaimaniya, a major city in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region (Reuters)
Iraqi Legislature Elects New President
After being elected president, former Water Minister and Kurdish engineer Abdul Latif Rashid named Mohamed Shia al-Sudani as prime minister, a close ally of Iran-aligned former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki; Sudani now has one month to form a government (WaPo)
The secret ballot occurred hours after rockets targeted the Green Zone where Parliament is based (NYT)
UN Official Calls For Dialogue Among Political Leadership
The top UN official for Iraq blamed the country’s instability on a lack of dialogue among the political class and called on Iraqi leaders to set aside their differences (UN News)
Second Rocket Attack Targets Central Baghdad
Four rockets were fired by unknown sources from eastern Baghdad, landing in Baghdad’s Green Zone; this comes after a similar attack killed seven Iraqi security forces in the same area while parliament was in session on Wednesday (Reuters)
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador to answer for a deadly drone attack targeting an Iranian-Kurdish opposition group in northern Iraq on Wednesday (Associated Press)
Iranian Strikes on Iraqi-Based Kurdish Parties Kills Thirteen
Iranian strikes on exiled Iranian Kurdish parties in northern Iraq killed thirteen people and wounded fifty-eight, an Iraqi official said (WaPo)
Supreme Court Blocks Effort to Dissolve Parliament
Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court ruled that it cannot dissolve the parliament per the demand of Moqtada al-Sadr and his followers (Reuters)
Militant Clashes in Basra Kills Four
Clashes between rival Shi’ite Muslim militants killed four people in Basra as political unrest spreads to the south (Reuters)
Attacks on Iraqi Oilfield Cause U.S. Contractors to Flee
Rocket attacks on the Khor Mor gas field in northern Iraq forced U.S. contractors to return to the U.S., potentially delaying the Kurdistan Regional Government’s project to run a pipeline from the field to the city of Dohuk (Reuters)
Sadr Orders Followers to End Protests in Baghdad
In a televised address, Moqtada al-Sadr called on his followers to cease protests after fighting broke out in Baghdad, killing twenty-two (Reuters)
Protests between factions vying to lead the next government escalated in Baghdad, with pro-Iran groups confronting supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr outside parliament (The National)
Protesters Occupy Iraq’s Parliament
Hundreds of supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr began occupying Iraq’s legislature on Saturday to oppose a pro-Iran rival bloc’s choice for prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani; their opposition prolongs a stalemate that has left Iraq without a government since elections in October (Al Jazeera)
Turkey Says Consulate in Mosul, Iraq Was Attacked
The Turkish foreign ministry reported that its consulate general in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul was attacked—with no casualties—as Iraq demands accountability for an alleged Turkish airstrike in northern Iraq (Reuters)
Rockets Hit Gas Field in Iraqi Kurdistan
Rockets hit the Khor Mor gas field in northern Iraq, inflicting no apparent casualties or damage; the attacks have not been claimed by any group (Reuters)
Three U.S. Oilfield Service Companies to Exit Iraqi Kurdistan, Per Iraqi Oil Ministry
Three U.S. oilfield service companies—Schlumberger, Baker Hughes, and Halliburton—have announced their intent to withdraw from Iraq’s Kurdistan region in compliance with a recent Iraqi Supreme Court ruling, says the Iraqi Oil Ministry (Reuters)
Gas Field in Iraq’s Kurdish Reason Targeted by Rockets
A gas field in Iraq’s Kurdish region was targeted by six rockets—the third attack in the past week; while no group has claimed responsibility, similar attacks have been claimed by Iran and affiliated armed groups in the past (Reuters)