
Baghdad rocked by explosions: Iranian missiles traverse Iraqi skies
The source told Shafaq News that one missile's fuel tank crashed between Abu Ghraib and Al-Radwaniyah, west of the capital, with no casualties recorded.
The incident unfolded as Iran and Israel entered their second week of direct strikes, with both sides exchanging missile and drone attacks across multiple fronts.
Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani renewed his rejection of Israel 's use of Iraqi airspace in strikes against Iran. In a meeting with UK Ambassador Irfan Siddiq, al-Sudani condemned the overflights as a 'violation of sovereignty' and a threat to both regional and global security.
He called on the UN Security Council's permanent members to intervene—demanding a halt to Israeli strikes on Iran and Gaza, and pressing for immediate humanitarian access to the besieged Palestinian enclave.
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Rudaw Net
11 minutes ago
- Rudaw Net
Iraq-Turkey pipeline requires ‘costly' renovation: KRG PM advisor
Also in Iraq Iraqi top court dismisses lawsuit to halt KRG's 24-hour power plan US calls on Iraq to punish pro-Iran militants over deadly Baghdad attack Kurdish MP urges Iraqi president to halt Qaratapa upgrade Iraqi authorities arrest PMF members linked to attack on ministry A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraq-Turkey pipeline has surpassed its lifespan and will require 'costly' renovation if the Kurdistan Region's long-stalled oil exports are to resume, an energy advisor to the Region's prime minister said on Tuesday. 'The suspension of the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline, which is a strategic Iraqi line, started in 1973 - meaning it is more than 50 years old,' said Kamal Atroshi, energy advisor to Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the Kurdistan Region's former minister of natural resources. Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline have been suspended since March 2023 after a ruling by a Paris-based arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad against Ankara, saying the latter had violated a 1973 pipeline agreement by allowing Erbil to begin exporting oil independently in 2014. 'Normally and under international standards, the lifespan of oil pipelines is between 40 to 50 years. After that period, it becomes very old and needs special maintenance, which entails very high costs. Basically, the contract was for 50 years and has expired for that pipeline,' he explained. Atroshi noted that the line is not beyond use, but any future operation would require extensive repair and favorable terms for both Iraq and Turkey. 'If an agreement is made to renovate that pipeline again, it has the capacity to work and its maintenance and repair costs and transit fees… are economically suitable for both sides, then it's possible. It's a very strong possibility,' he said. 'Certainly, this also has great benefits for Turkey.' The remarks come as Iraq and Turkey discuss the future of the pipeline and a possible new energy partnership. Last week, the Iraqi oil ministry said Ankara had officially expressed its willingness to renew and expand the 1973 oil export agreement with Baghdad. Turkey has confirmed sending a letter to Baghdad that included a draft of a broader energy cooperation deal covering oil, gas, petrochemicals, and electricity. The current agreement, first signed in 1973 and most recently renewed in 2010, is set to expire in 2026 unless either side issues a termination notice one year prior. Iraq's state gazette had earlier announced that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would not renew the deal, prompting further clarification from Turkish officials that they do intend to move forward with a new version of the agreement. In May, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the pipeline has the capacity to carry 1.5 million barrels of oil per day and that Ankara is interested in expanding energy trade with Iraq, particularly involving the oil-rich southern province of Basra. Sangar Abdulrahman contributed to this report.


Shafaq News
26 minutes ago
- Shafaq News
Legacy of Saddam-Era: How old laws cripple Iraq's legislative future
Shafaq News More than two decades after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, the legacy of Iraq's dissolved Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) continues to obstruct the country's legislative development. Despite successive parliamentary sessions since 2005, many foundational laws remain stalled due to political disagreements and intra-bloc rivalries. This gridlock is exacerbated by the continued enforceability of thousands of RCC-era decrees—many considered outdated or repressive. Legislative Paralysis and RCC Residue At the end of each parliamentary term, unresolved legislative proposals are routinely carried over to the next, creating a backlog that hampers Iraq's ability to enact meaningful reform. According to officials, this stagnation is compounded by the survival of nearly 6,000 RCC decisions—some criticized for their authoritarian nature, particularly those establishing special courts or intensifying penalties under Iraq's legal code. Despite repeated calls from senior figures, including President Abdul Latif Rashid in 2023, for a comprehensive legal review, Parliament has largely failed to abolish or amend most of these decrees. Many remain legally binding under Article 130 of Iraq's constitution, despite clashing with international human rights norms and democratic principles. RCC's Institutional Legacy Formed after the 1968 Ba'athist coup, the Revolutionary Command Council served as Iraq's highest authority until its dissolution by the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority in 2003. Under Saddam Hussein, the RCC wielded unchecked legislative and executive powers. Many of its rulings were instrumental in consolidating authoritarian rule and suppressing dissent. Legal experts estimate that 5,903 of these decisions are still in force. A joint committee between the Presidency and Parliament's Legal Committee was created to classify and review these decisions. Legal expert Ali al-Tamimi noted that RCC decrees even outnumber Iraq's key laws, including the Penal Code. 'They were issued under the 1970 interim constitution and remain in effect unless formally repealed,' he said, adding that most of these decrees were used to suppress political opposition and established exceptional courts that contradict international law. 'Parliament is capable of repealing them all at once or selectively amending a few.' Al-Tamimi also stressed that the current government's ministerial program explicitly calls for repealing RCC decisions that conflict with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international treaties. Efforts at Repeal and Political Resistance While Parliament has repealed select RCC decisions since 2007, broader repeal efforts have stalled. Raed al-Maliki, a member of the parliamentary legal committee, said he compiled and amended the RCC decisions and submitted a legislative proposal—but it was blocked. 'The Council is simply not prepared to address this file,' he told Shafaq News. Al-Maliki noted that while the current legislative session managed to pass some laws, including the General Amnesty Law and amendments to the Personal Status Law, it also witnessed repeated disruptions, session delays, and a stagnant agenda. 'Important laws carried over from previous terms were subject to political agreements,' even though such laws could be passed with a two-thirds majority without needing full consensus. He further explained that 'some draft laws face no disagreement within Parliament itself. The real disputes happen outside Parliament—among bloc leaders—who prevent such laws from being put to a vote.' In 2023, Legal Committee Head, Ribwar Hadi Abdul Rahman, announced renewed efforts to repeal RCC decrees through a new committee with the Presidency. He clarified that such decrees do not require replacement legislation. 'RCC decisions are not amended—they are either in force or abolished,' he said. Some initial steps focused on repealing decrees related to land disputes in Sinjar and Zummar. Additional efforts have targeted RCC-era confiscations of Kurdish and Turkmen lands in Kirkuk—widely viewed as part of the former regime's demographic manipulation strategy. One of the most enduring and contentious RCC legacies is Penal Code No. 111 of 1969, which remains largely intact. Articles 225 and 226 criminalize public insults to state institutions or officials, carrying penalties of up to seven years in prison. Ironically, these provisions have been applied to political forces once persecuted under Saddam's regime. Structural Barriers to Reform Legal expert Qatada Saleh Fanjan told Shafaq News that 'most important laws are subject to bargaining and consensus among political factions.' He noted that lawmakers often lack independent voting authority, as their decisions depend on the approval of party leaders. 'Parliament should focus on producing laws—not obstructing them,' he said, warning that 'the subordination of Parliament's leadership and its members to political agendas in conflict with the law has caused the failure of many legislative efforts.' Al-Maliki echoed this view, confirming that many laws remain hostage to factional calculations despite lacking real opposition within Parliament. The root of the obstruction, he emphasized, lies in political leadership outside the chamber. Political analyst Aid al-Hilali warned that lawmaking in Iraq remains hostage to sectarian and ethnic rivalries. 'There is no collective national will, and partisan interests often override the public good,' he said. Al-Hilali added that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has repeatedly tried to activate legislative reforms through his government program, but political blocs have continued to use outdated laws as bargaining tools, stalling or weakening many reform efforts. He cautioned that the delay in passing new laws and the persistence of RCC-era legislation 'not only harms the government's performance but also undermines public trust in the political system as a whole.' The continued coexistence of repressive legacy laws and stalled modern legislation, he argued, 'has created a confused legal environment that grants privileges to certain groups at the expense of justice and state institutions.' Written and edited by Shafaq New staff.


Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
German court rejects Yazidi family's asylum appeal
Shafaq News – Berlin On Tuesday, a German administrative court in Potsdam rejected the asylum appeal of a Yazidi family recently deported to Iraq, despite the presence of four underage children among its members. The case stems from a 2023 lawsuit filed by the family after Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees denied their asylum application. The court adjusted the grounds for rejection from 'apparently unfounded' to simply 'unfounded,' without clarifying how this affected the family's legal position. The family had lived in the town of Lychen for several years before being deported last week, even after filing an emergency motion to stop the removal. Although a court later annulled the deportation order, the ruling was issued while the family was already aboard a flight to Baghdad, making intervention impossible. A court spokesperson explained that the rejection was based on the lack of an individual threat—such as direct persecution by ISIS or widespread violence against Yazidis—thus weakening the justification for international protection. A subsequent urgent motion to block the deportation was also denied, making the removal legally binding, according to DW. The family's lawyer now has 30 days to appeal the decision before the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin–Brandenburg. Brandenburg's Interior Minister Michael Stübgen stated he would facilitate the family's return in coordination with the federal government if the court eventually rules in their favor.