Iraqi authorities release Political Analyst Abbas Al-Ardawi on bail
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Rudaw Net
27 minutes ago
- Rudaw Net
Drone attacks cut Kurdistan oil output by 100,000 barrels per day
Also in Kurdistan Bahrain seeks to open representative office in Erbil: Ambassador Two dead in Halabja shooting President Barzani reaffirms Erbil's commitment to boosting ties with Berlin KDP, PUK reached 'better level' of understanding on KRG formation A+ A- Drone attacks cut Kurdistan oil output by 100,000 barrels per day ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Oil production in the Kurdistan Region has dropped by 100,000 barrels per day from the previously agreed 230,000 barrels, according to a report by Iraq's oil ministry seen by Rudaw on Tuesday, with the decline attributed to recent drone attacks that targeted the Region's energy infrastructure. Rudaw's Baghdad correspondent, Halkawt Aziz, reported that the findings were presented during an Iraqi cabinet meeting on Tuesday. The report states that 'the Kurdistan Region is currently producing 130,000 barrels of oil [per day]. Of this, 50,000 barrels are allocated for domestic consumption, while the federal government receives the remaining 80,000 barrels.' Under a recent agreement between Erbil and Baghdad, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) committed to exporting all of its oil - estimated at 230,000 barrels per day - through the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), Iraq's national oil company. In return, Baghdad pledged to release salaries for the Region's civil servants that have been delayed for months. According to Aziz, Iraqi Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani told the cabinet that the decline in Kurdish oil output is the result of 'attacks by unmanned drones' that have severely damaged infrastructure, making it unachievable to meet the agreed upon quota. The Kurdistan Region endured nearly 20 drone attacks in July alone, including on energy infrastructure, forcing some oil fields to completely halt operations. Aziz Ahmad, deputy chief of staff to KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, said in mid-July that the attacks have inflicted 200,000 barrels of oil production per day in losses. Kurdistan Region Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed revealed on Sunday that both Erbil and Baghdad know who is behind the recent drone attacks targeting the Region's oil infrastructure. 'We even know where the drones were manufactured, how they were directed, and what their targets were,' Ahmed said, adding that a joint investigative team has been formed between Erbil and Baghdad to probe the incidents. Of note, the KRG has previously accused Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) of involvement, though Baghdad has denied the allegations. The stalled production and transfer of Kurdish oil has in turn contributed to delaying salary payments to civil servants in the Kurdistan Region, with Baghdad citing insufficient oil deliveries as the reason for withholding funds. Despite the setbacks, there are signs of progress. On Monday, the head of SOMO said the company is ready to receive any volume of oil from the Kurdistan Region, confirming the completion of 'all contractual procedures for exporting oil through the Turkish port of Ceyhan.' This statement followed a KRG announcement last week affirming its readiness to export all oil through SOMO, emphasizing its commitment to the 'mutual understanding between both sides.' Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline have been suspended since March 2023, after a Paris-based arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad. The court found that Turkey had violated a 1973 pipeline agreement by allowing the KRG to independently export oil since 2014. The KRG, the federal government, and international oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region have been in ongoing negotiations to establish a formula to resume Kurdish oil exports.
Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
Iraq's CF presses for election safeguards
Shafaq News – Baghdad On Tuesday, Iraq's Shiite Coordination Framework (CF) urged the country's leadership to adopt guarantees aimed at securing the integrity of the upcoming parliamentary elections, set for November 11. In an official statement, the bloc—a key political force backing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani—called on the president, al-Sudani, parliament speaker, and chief justice to swiftly approve the framework. While the statement did not specify the proposed safeguards, similar reform demands in recent years have prioritized stricter ballot oversight, biometric voter verification, and the independence of Iraq's High Electoral Commission (IHEC). Other measures typically included tougher penalties for vote buying, transparency in campaign financing, and greater engagement from civil society and international monitors. The November vote will be Iraq's first national election since the disputed 2021 polls, which saw low turnout and widespread allegations of irregularities. According to the IHEC, over 7,900 candidates are competing for 329 parliamentary seats. More than 29 million Iraqis are eligible to vote, following months of work to update voter rolls and biometric data—marking one of the largest electorates in the country's history. However, early campaigning has revived fears of sectarian polarization, with analysts and civil society organizations warning that without meaningful safeguards, inflammatory rhetoric could aggravate political divides and weaken the legitimacy of the outcome.
Shafaq News
2 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Lebanon: Government to meet amid deep divide over Hezbollah's weapons
Shafaq News – Beirut Lebanon is awaiting the outcome of a government session set to convene shortly at the presidential palace on Tuesday, with a key agenda item focused on the 'exclusive state control over weapons' and the handover of Hezbollah's arms to the Lebanese Army. The session is taking place against the backdrop of a sharp political divide among participating parties. While some are pushing for a formal decision on exclusive state control over arms, others argue that such a step should come only after several conditions are met. These include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Lebanese territories, the release of Lebanese detainees captured during the recent war, and a cessation of targeted killings and daily violations of the ceasefire agreement. During a meeting between a Hezbollah parliamentary delegation and Free Patriotic Movement Leader Gebran Bassil, Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad stated that "what hinders state-building in Lebanon is the Israeli aggression, not Hezbollah." 'The worst-case scenario we must all avoid is turning the issue from a Lebanese-Israeli conflict into a Lebanese-Lebanese one,' Fayyad added, stressing that the solution must begin with the guarantor countries fulfilling their agreed obligations. Lebanese media outlets have published several reported leaks regarding the expected outcome of today's session. Among the most prominent is the possibility that the discussion on exclusive weapons control will be extended to future sessions, amid apparent concern among political factions about destabilizing the country's political and security environment.
