
Iraq gives initial nod to participate Arab-Russian summit
The Prime Minister's Office stated Al-Sudani received today, the Special Envoy of the Russian President to the Middle East and North Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov, where bilateral relations between Iraq and the Russian Federation were discussed, and ways to develop them in various fields.
The statement added, "the meeting witnessed a review of regional and international situations, and efforts seeking to support stability in the region." Al-Sudani expressed his initial approval to participate in the Arab-Russian Summit, 'due to its importance in achieving common interests."
During the meeting, he stressed the government's desire to develop relations between the two countries and expand the horizons of cooperation in various fields, stressing "the need to enhance cooperation on the development road project and Russian projects on transit routes; in order to achieve mutual benefit and develop common interests."
For his part, Bogdanov conveyed to Al-Sudani the greetings of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the desire of his country's government to activate bilateral memoranda of understanding, in preparation for the tenth meeting of the Iraqi-Russian Joint Committee, which will be held soon, and 'which will undertake the tasks of implementing the agreements and memoranda of understanding between the two countries."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Rudaw Net
39 minutes ago
- Rudaw Net
Who is behind recent rocket, drone attacks in Kurdistan Region, disputed territories?
Also in Iraq Car accident kills four in Diyala province Turkey approves increased water flow to aid Iraq amid growing crisis Unfinished Stories: End of Mesopotamia Iraq urges Turkey to increase water flow amid severe crisis A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran-aligned groups have denied involvement in recent rocket and drone attacks targeting the Kurdistan Region and territories disputed between Baghdad and Erbil. Several of their leaders and affiliated politicians have publicly denied any involvement, blaming either Islamic State (ISIS) remnants or political scapegoating ahead of Iraq's November elections. A string of unclaimed drone and rocket attacks have hit the Kurdistan Region and several disputed territories between Erbil and Baghdad since the start of the week, with no group claiming responsibility. The incidents come amid heightened tensions and diminished air defense capabilities following the Iran-Israel conflict in June, which left much of Iraq's radar infrastructure inoperable. A source from Iraq's defense ministry told Rudaw on condition of anonymity that the radar systems remain severely compromised. 'Out of three radars, two have been taken out of service during the Iran-Israel war. One was in Baghdad and the other in Nasiriyah. Now, only the western sector radar is working, and that's not enough to track these objects,' the source said. Intelligence units in the Defense Ministry and other security agencies have launched investigations, but the source warned that the lack of functioning radar is delaying tracking and response efforts. The renewed drone activity follows a US-brokered ceasefire that ended a 12-day war between Iran and Israel. During the conflict, numerous drones and missiles flew through Iraqi airspace, including the Kurdistan Region, where several drones fell or were intercepted, and a renewed series of similar incidents began again on Sunday. Recent drone and rocket attacks On Tuesday, two explosive-laden drones were intercepted over Sulaimani province, with one crashing in the Tasluja area. No casualties were reported, according to local officials. That same day, a drone struck the Darkar camp housing displaced Yazidis about 36 kilometers northwest of Duhok. The Kurdistan Region's Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD) said the drone was laden with explosives and caused material damage. Civil defense teams from Zakho reported that three cabins at the camp caught fire as a result of the crash. No injuries were reported. In Kirkuk, Governor Rebwar Taha said three Katyusha rockets struck the city overnight. One hit a residential home, while two others landed between the civilian and military zones of Kirkuk International Airport. No fatalities were reported. In Salahaddin province, three people were injured on Sunday when an explosion hit the Baiji oil refinery. While some media outlets claimed the site was targeted by 12 drones, Saif Muhannad, head of the Salahaddin provincial council's media office, said only two drones were confirmed, and there is no evidence of a coordinated 12-drone attack. 'This isn't the first time the base has been targeted, but there are some armed groups that are dominant in that area,' he said. Militia groups deny involvement, blame ISIS Mahdi al-Kaabi, a political committee member of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, an Iran-aligned Iraqi militia group, denied responsibility for the recent attacks. 'We, as the Nujaba movement, are not participating in any way in these recent attacks carried out with missiles and drones,' he told Rudaw, adding that there is coordination between the resistance groups and the Iraqi government to prevent military escalations. Kaabi suggested the accusations against militias are politically motivated. 'Pointing fingers at us and other resistance front groups is somewhat related to the approaching elections,' he said, referring to Iraq's upcoming parliamentary vote set for November. Mohammed al-Bayati, a senior Badr Organization official in Kirkuk, also denied involvement. 'Never do the Popular Mobilization Forces [PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi] and Badr attempt to carry out attacks in that manner, especially at this sensitive time,' he said, suggesting that ISIS militants, who remain active in some regions, may be behind the attacks. ISIS, which seized large parts of Iraq in 2014 before being territorially defeated in 2017, continues to carry out hit-and-run attacks from remote mountain and desert areas. In Diyala, Turki al-Attabi, a member of the provincial council, said that no evidence has emerged linking the government-affiliated and Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to any of the drone or rocket attacks. 'If any necessary evidence is obtained, we will inform the public,' he said. Malik Mohammed contributed to this report.


Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
Iraqi lawmaker: 100+ laws on shelf in Parliament
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraq's Parliament has stalled more than 100 draft laws, a member of the Parliamentary Legal Committee revealed on Wednesday. Abdul Karim Abtan told Shafaq News that Parliament remains effectively paralyzed and unable to meet, predicting these bills — including the Federal Supreme Court Law, Oil and Gas legislation, the Mandatory Military Service bill, and the Civil Service framework — will likely be deferred to the next term if the stalemate continues. Earlier, Mukhtar al-Moussawi of the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee blamed divisions within Iraq's ruling State Administration Coalition for blocking other key measures, including the Federal Budget Law and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Law.


Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
Iraqi President urges Global Coalition to protect skies
Shafaq News – Baghdad/Madrid On Wednesday, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid condemned recent Israeli and Iranian violations of Iraq's airspace and urged the US Global Coalition to safeguard Iraqi skies. 'Coalition forces should have intervened," Rashid told El Mundo, emphasizing that Iraq had requested air defense systems but lacked them due to "decades of dictatorship". Iraq's airspace has increasingly become a corridor for regional strikes, particularly during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. While the Coalition's mandate is counterterrorism, Iraqi leaders argued it should also help safeguard national sovereignty during regional escalations. On domestic security, the president affirmed that weapons must be restricted to official forces, reiterating the government's stance on consolidating arms under state control, and warned that ISIS remains a regional threat. 'Their threat has declined, but the atrocities against Yazidis remain unforgettable," he said, referencing the 2014 genocide in Sinjar. Baghdad–Erbil talks are also ongoing to resolve issues related to revenue and administration, according to the President, who stressed the importance of passing a national oil and gas law to address these disputes. Ahead of November's legislative elections, Rashid encouraged participation from all political groups, including those planning to abstain. 'Democratic systems allow for boycotts, but collaboration is essential to address corruption and national challenges."