Iraq plans to construct 60 new cities to address housing crisis
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, has given the order to create quick, workable solutions and effective planning to provide services to the country's new cities, according to a statement cited by the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
During a meeting to review the activities of the New Cities Implementation Authority, Al-Sudani stated that in order to alleviate the housing issue in Iraq, strategic solutions must be developed.
Al-Sudani emphasized that of the 60 planned cities in Iraq, six have been recommended for immediate development, while three additional cities will receive authorization for implementation.
Land concerns, real estate registration, property rights, and water and sewage networks with other service infrastructure are some of the major challenges that must be addressed to complete the construction of the new cities, according to Al-Sudani.
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Iraq Business
2 hours ago
- Iraq Business
US Sanctions Iraqi-British National for Smuggling Iranian Oil
By John Lee. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced sanctions targeting networks involved in transporting and purchasing Iranian oil, including a group of companies led by Iraqi businessman Salim Ahmed Said. The U.S. alleges that Said's network smuggled Iranian oil disguised as, or blended with, Iraqi oil, generating substantial profits while benefiting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), which is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Several vessels engaged in the covert delivery of Iranian oil were also sanctioned, as the U.S. continues to crack down on Iran's so-called "shadow fleet" of tankers. The actions aim to increase economic pressure on Tehran and disrupt its access to revenue that could fuel destabilising activities. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, " While Iran has had every opportunity to choose peace, its leaders have chosen extremism. Treasury will continue to target Tehran's revenue sources and intensify economic pressure. " The latest designations were made under Executive Orders 13902 and 13224, which target key sectors of the Iranian economy and entities supporting terrorism. The U.S. Department of State also announced sanctions on six entities and four vessels for significant transactions involving Iranian petroleum products, under Executive Order 13846. More background on this story can be found here. Full statement from the U.S. Department of the Treasury: Treasury Targets Diverse Networks Facilitating Iranian Oil Trade Today [3rd July 2025], the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is taking action against networks that have collectively transported and purchased billions of dollars' worth of Iranian oil, some of which has benefited Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Among the entities sanctioned today is a network of companies run by Iraqi businessman Salim Ahmed Said (Said) that has profited from smuggling Iranian oil disguised as, or blended with, Iraqi oil. Treasury is also sanctioning several vessels engaged in the covert delivery of Iranian oil, intensifying pressure on Iran's "shadow fleet." "As President Trump has made clear, Iran's behavior has left it decimated. While it has had every opportunity to choose peace, its leaders have chosen extremism," said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. "Treasury will continue to target Tehran's revenue sources and intensify economic pressure to disrupt the regime's access to the financial resources that fuel its destabilizing activities." Today's action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13902, which targets those operating in certain sectors of the Iranian economy, including Iran's petroleum and petrochemical sectors, as well as the counterterrorism authority E.O. 13224, as amended. It marks the eighth round of sanctions targeting Iran's oil trade since the President issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, directing a campaign of maximum pressure on Iran. Concurrently, the Department of State is designating six entities and identifying four vessels pursuant to E.O. 13846 for having knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran. IRAN-IRAQ OIL SMUGGLING NETWORK Iraqi-British national Salim Ahmed Said (Said) runs a network of companies that have been selling Iranian oil falsely declared as Iraqi oil since at least 2020. Said's companies use ship-to-ship transfers and other obfuscation techniques to hide their activities. Said's companies and vessels blend Iranian oil with Iraqi oil, which is then sold to Western buyers via Iraq or the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as purely Iraqi oil using forged documentation to avoid sanctions. This allows the oil to be sold on the legitimate market and helps Iran evade international sanctions on its oil exports. Said has bribed many members of key Iraqi government bodies, including parliament. He has reportedly paid millions of dollars in kickbacks to these officials in exchange for forged vouchers allowing him to sell Iranian oil as if it originated from Iraq. Said is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for operating in the petroleum sector of the Iranian economy. Said controls UAE-based company VS Tankers FZE (VS Tankers), despite avoiding formal association with the company. Formerly known as Al-Iraqia Shipping Services & Oil Trading FZE (AISSOT), VS Tankers has smuggled oil for the benefit of the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). For example, in 2020, AISSOT reportedly brokered a deal to transport Iranian oil via Iraqi pipelines to be blended and sold as Iraqi oil. VS Tankers-affiliated ships have assisted Iranian oil exporters in blending Iranian oil with Iraqi to obscure the oil's origins by engaging in ship-to-ship transfers with vessels known to be affiliated with Iranian oil activities. VS Tankers currently claims several oil tankers as part of its fleet, one of which recorded four ship-to-ship transfers with the U.S. sanctioned, Barbados-flagged CASINOVA (IMO 9280366) in April 2024 while located in the Persian Gulf near the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab river, which marks the border between Iraq and Iran. VS Tankers has served as the operator, manager, and beneficial owner of the Marshall Islands-flagged crude oil tanker DIJILAH (IMO 9829629) since 2019. VS Tankers is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for operating in the petroleum sector of the Iranian economy. DIJILAH is being identified pursuant to E.O. 13902 as property in which VS Tankers has an interest. In 2023, Said expanded his business holdings to include VS Oil Terminal FZE (VS Oil), which, though registered in the UAE, has its physical presence in Khor al-Zubayr, Iraq. VS Oil manages six oil storage tanks where Iranian oil is dropped off to be mixed with Iraqi oil. Vessels carrying Iranian oil also conduct ship-to-ship transfers with vessels carrying Iraqi oil in the vicinity of VS Oil's terminal facilities, and the blended oil is ultimately authenticated by complicit Iraqi government officials. Vessel tracking data shows that multiple oil tankers known to transport Iranian petroleum products on behalf of U.S.-sanctioned Iranian oil and petrochemical broker Triliance Petrochemical Co. Ltd. and Iranian military front company Sahara Thunder have visited VS Oil. VS Oil employees smuggle hard currency into Iran via cars and trucks, some of which carry millions of dollars each, as payment for oil. VS Oil is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for operating in the petroleum sector of the Iranian economy. Said also owns UAE-based VS Petroleum DMCC, formerly Ikon Petroleum DMCC, and Rhine Shipping DMCC (Rhine Shipping) which, in 2022, were implicated in blending Iranian oil to sell as Iraqi oil. Rhine Shipping was also previously exposed as the manager of the U.S.-sanctioned oil tanker MOLECULE, formerly named BABEL, which loaded oil in the Persian Gulf from an Iranian tanker that had turned off its location transponder to obfuscate the transaction. OFAC subsequently sanctioned the MOLECULE for its role in shipping Iranian oil as part of the network of Iran-backed Houthi financial official Sa'id al-Jamal. Said also owns United Kingdom-based companies The Willett Hotel Limited and Robinbest Limited. VS Petroleum DMCC, Rhine Shipping, The Willett Hotel Limited, and Robinbest Limited are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for being owned or controlled by, directly or indirectly, Said. Shadow fleet actors Iran's shadow fleet enables the regime to transport its petroleum to generate revenue. Iran relies on non-sanctioned vessels to conduct ship-to-ship transfers and receive Iranian oil from sanctioned vessels before shipping the Iranian-origin cargo to buyers in Asia. The National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) uses Singapore-based Trans Arctic Global Marine Services PTE. LTD. (Trans Arctic Global) to arrange piloting services for NITC vessels transiting through the Strait of Malacca. Trans Arctic Global has enabled NITC to transport tens of millions of barrels of Iranian oil through the Strait of Malacca for eventual ship-to-ship transfers to vessels waiting in the Singapore Eastern Outer Port Limits. Trans Arctic Global is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for operating in the petroleum sector of the Iranian economy. The Cameroon-flagged VIZURI (IMO 9197909), Comoros-flagged FOTIS (IMO 9306548), and Panama-flagged THEMIS (IMO 9264570) and BIANCA JOYSEL (IMO 9196632), have collectively shipped tens of millions of barrels of Iranian oil and other petroleum worth billions of dollars. Since mid-2023, the VIZURI has completed multiple shipments of Iranian oil and transported millions of barrels of Iranian oil. Panama-flagged liquified petroleum gas carrier (LPG) FOTIS has transported millions of barrels of Iranian LPG and other petroleum to multiple locations. Panama-flagged THEMIS, which was sanctioned by the United Kingdom on May 9, 2025 for transporting Russian oil, has also transported Iranian oil. Seychelles-based Egir Shipping Ltd, and Marshall Islands-based Fotis Lines Incorporated and Themis Limited are the respective owners of the VIZURI, FOTIS, and THEMIS. Egir Shipping Limited, Fotis Lines Incorporated, and Themis Limited are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for operating in the petroleum sector of the Iranian economy. VIZURI, FOTIS, and THEMIS are being identified as blocked property in which Egir Shipping Ltd, Fotis Lines Incorporated, and Themis Limited, respectively, have an interest. Panama-flagged BIANCA JOYSEL has transported more than ten million barrels of Iranian oil since mid-2024, conducting ship-to-ship transfers with sanctioned vessels owned by the U.S.-designated NITC, including the AMOR and STARLA. British Virgin Islands-based Betensh Global Investment Limited And Dong Dong Shipping Limited owns the BIANCA JOYSEL. Betensh Global Investment Limited And Dong Dong Shipping Limited is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for operating in the petroleum sector of the Iranian economy. BIANCA JOYSEL is being identified as blocked property in which Betensh Global Investment Limited And Dong Dong Shipping Limited has an interest. IRGC-QF oil Sales The IRGC-QF has used the Al-Qatirji Company to facilitate oil sales to customers around the world, generating hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue for the IRGC-QF. The Cameroon-flagged ELIZABET (IMO 9216717), which has impersonated a separate vessel, the S TINOS, loaded a cargo of Iranian oil off the coast of Malaysia in August 2024 via ship-to-ship transfer. The cargo had originally been loaded at Kharg Island, Iran, by the ROMINA (IMO 9114608), a vessel previously identified for its role in transporting Iranian petroleum for the Al-Qatirji Company. Seychelles-based White Sands Shipmanagement Corp. is the ship manager, operator, and technical manager of the ELIZABET. The AI-Qatirji Company transported approximately two million barrels of Iranian oil on the Cameroon-flagged ATILA (IMO 9262754) in support of the U.S.-sanctioned Sa'id al-Jamal network. The ATILA received the oil in a ship-to-ship transfer with the sanctioned vessel ARMAN 114. The Iranian oil carried by the ATILA was disguised as Malaysian oil. Seychelles-based Grat Shipping Co Ltd is the manager, operator, and owner of the ATILA. OFAC designated Sa'id al-Jamal pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, on June 10, 2021, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the IRGC-QF. The Al-Qatirji Company has also used the Palauan-flagged GAS MARYAM (IMO 9108099) to transport Iranian petroleum products in support of the IRGC-QF. Liberia-based Dima Shipping & Trading Company is the manager, operator, and owner of the GAS MARYAM. White Sands Shipmanagement Corp, Grat Shipping Co Ltd, and Dima Shipping & Trading Company are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of the Al-Qatirji Company. The ELIZABET is being identified as blocked property in which White Sands Shipmanagement Corp. has an interest, the ATILA as blocked property in which Grat Shipping Co Ltd has an interest, and the GAS MARYAM as blocked property in which Dima Shipping & Trading Company has an interest. SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons. Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC's Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC's enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities involving designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. Furthermore, engaging in certain transactions involving the persons designated today may risk the imposition of secondary sanctions on participating foreign financial institutions. OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on opening or maintaining, in the United States, a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducts or facilitates any significant transaction on behalf of a person who is designated pursuant to the relevant authority. The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, or to submit a request, please refer to OFAC's guidance on Filing a Petition for Removal from an OFAC List. Click here for more information on the persons designated and any property identified as blocked today. (Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury)
Shafaq News
5 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Radar warfare puts Iraq's aerial surveillance at risk
Shafaq News A wave of drone and rocket attacks targeting Iraq's radar and air surveillance systems has raised alarms about the country's deteriorating aerial security and its capacity to protect both military and civilian infrastructure. The campaign, marked by the destruction of critical radar units in Baghdad, Dhi Qar, and Kirkuk, has exposed gaps in Iraq's air defense architecture and stirred calls for urgent strategic reform. Coordinated Attacks Attacks on June 24 involving swarms of small suicide drones and Katyusha rockets directly hit Iraqi military radar installations. According to Major General Sabah Al-Naaman, spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, two radar systems were destroyed — one at the Taji Camp north of Baghdad and another at Imam Ali Airbase in Dhi Qar. Al-Naaman confirmed that Iraqi forces intercepted and downed four additional drones en route to separate military sites, asserting that these 'cowardly acts' would not go unanswered. While no casualties were reported, the nature and precision of the strikes prompted renewed concern over Iraq's surveillance resilience. Security sources told Shafaq News that the targeted radar in Dhi Qar had recently intercepted a reconnaissance drone, suggesting that the strike may have been retaliatory. In Baghdad, the Security Media Cell reported that two unidentified drones were detected over the capital. One struck a non-operational radar unit at the Taji base, while the other crashed near a power generator. Separately, drone wreckage was discovered in the Radwaniyah area west of the city. Kirkuk has also emerged as a new hotspot in this wave of attacks. In recent days, the city has been targeted repeatedly by drones and rockets, with particular focus on its dual-use airport. Turkmen MP Arshad Al-Salihi described the situation as a 'dangerous indicator of the scale of the security breach,' demanding an immediate inquiry. 'What's more troubling,' he told Shafaq News, 'is that no one knows where these drones are launched from — and the fact that airport radar systems failed to detect them raises serious concerns.' Despite the aerial assaults, Kirkuk International Airport has continued to operate. Airport spokesman Herdi Al-Salihi emphasized the facility's 'full operational readiness.' Nevertheless, the airport sustained a direct hit earlier when three unidentified projectiles landed within its perimeter. Two landed on the military side and one in the civilian section, causing a minor fire. One person was lightly injured. The fire was quickly contained, and the airport confirmed that no structural damage occurred. Drone Campaign Undermines Air Control Security observers and defense experts have begun referring to the pattern of attacks as an emerging form of 'radar warfare.' Brigadier General Ammar Al-Azzawi cautioned that low-flying drones present a unique challenge, as they can evade standard radar detection systems without advanced early warning integration. 'The only way forward,' Al-Azzawi argued, 'is to integrate all civil and military radar systems into a unified national grid and to upgrade Iraq's air defense platforms to counter modern threats.' Observers believe these are not random acts of sabotage but coordinated elements of an intelligence-driven campaign, as shown by their near-simultaneous strikes across distant provinces. As drone warfare reshapes the battlefield across the region, Iraq's continued exposure could leave not only its military infrastructure but also its civilian aviation and population centers vulnerable to paralyzing strikes.
Shafaq News
5 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Iraqi MP: Turkiye using water as leverage in dam talks
Shafaq News – Baghdad/Ankara Iraq's water crisis remains unresolved amid sharply reduced flows from Turkiye, with a parliamentary committee affirming that only new dam construction can secure the country's long-term water needs. MP Thaer Mukhayef told Shafaq News that Ankara has linked any increase in water releases to Iraq awarding dam contracts to Turkish companies. He cautioned that failure to honor the bilateral water agreement could trigger widespread protests in drought-hit regions. Mukhayef urged Iraqi authorities to intensify efforts to alleviate severe shortages in the country's southern and central provinces. 'The situation in the southern provinces and the Euphrates basin is dire,' he said. A source at Mosul Dam confirmed earlier to Shafaq News that water releases into the Tigris River have reached 350 cubic meters per second. Although inflows from Turkiye have risen slightly, they remain well below levels outlined in the water agreement. Iraq faces mounting water insecurity due to extreme heat, low rainfall, and shrinking reserves. Experts warn the crisis will have serious social consequences, particularly in the southern marshlands, including rising poverty, reverse migration, and growing tensions over access to water.
