"Hybrid Monetary Policy".. Al-Sudani's Advisor Reveals the Central Bank's New Step
Saleh told {Euphrates News} that: "It is clear that the monetary policy of the Central Bank of Iraq has become a policy that meets the requirements of growth in real economic activity, through activating its operational objectives aimed at reducing the cost of credit and financing within the joints of the economic system in general and the banking system in particular.
" He explained, "The Central Bank began, through its decision issued in accordance with its circular on October 24, to reduce the monetary policy interest rate (which is the rate at which the Central Bank of Iraq deals with the banking system) by about 200 percentage points, by lowering the interest at which the Central Bank deals with banks from 7.5% to 5.5%, which means that the Central Bank of Iraq has become following an expansionary policy in targeting the money supply in a manner that is consistent with activating the real sector in the national economy and confronting unemployment indicators in the overall economy."
According to the statement of the Prime Minister's economic advisor, "Despite the above, the bank in its new policy did not neglect the importance of continuing to control local liquidity levels and carrying out high sterilization operations, by offering debt instruments called Islamic certificates of deposit with a return that increases with the length of the amortization period of those securities purchased by the banking system, which are considered sovereign debts that can be mortgaged or discounted in the secondary market and are excellent debts."
He continued, "The monetary policy of the Central Bank has given a signal to the financial and banking system that its easy or flexible policy adopted by the bank in moving the liquidity of the economy is under continuous control in order to play the role of the monetary authority in combating inflationary activities and imposing economic stability as its first central goal."
Saleh concluded by saying, "Between expanding the movement of economic liquidity as an expansionary policy and imposing control over liquidity levels by offering debt instruments in return at the same time in parallel, we can call the current monetary policy of the Central Bank of Iraq a {hybrid flexible monetary policy}."
The bank decided to reduce the interest rate from 7.5% to 5.5%, in addition to reactivating the securities (Islamic certificate of deposit and money transfers) according to an annual plan and with two terms: with a return of 4% for a period of 14 days and a return of 5.5% for a period of 182 days.
What is the total spending and price of a barrel of oil in the 2025 budget?
The Prime Minister's Advisor for Financial Affairs, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, specified the expected total spending, the hypothetical deficit, and the price of a barrel in the 2025 budget.
Saleh said, "Next year's budget 2025 will not deviate from the constants approved in the Federal General Budget Law (the three-year budget) submitted by the government and approved by the House of Representatives for the years 2023-2024-2025, especially in the principles and objectives consistent with the government program."
He added, "Despite this, the 2025 budget must be hedged with a hypothetical deficit of 64 trillion dinars, which is a (precautionary) deficit that has been established by law; to avoid fluctuations in the general budget revenues for the coming year, especially oil revenues that are subject to fluctuations in the oil asset cycle and the conditions of energy markets in the world, as long as the total spending ceiling will touch perhaps 200 trillion dinars, depending on the financial and economic circumstances of the country."
He explained that "the price of a barrel of oil in the three-year budget, to which the 2025 budget is subject, was set at $70 and an export capacity of 3.4 million barrels per day for the purposes of determining oil revenues in the general budget."
Is gold in Iraq affected by global prices? Expert explains
Growing geopolitical tensions are pushing investors towards safe assets such as gold, driven by a desire to protect themselves from risks and instability in global markets. Are gold prices in Iraq affected by global prices?
In this regard, Mustafa Hantoush, who is concerned with financial and banking affairs, confirmed that Iraq is not a gold-producing country, and
its people buy more than they sell due to hoarding and traditions. Therefore, its markets depend on global gold prices in buying and selling.
Hantoush told Iraq Observer, “One of the most important reasons for the rise in global gold prices is the increase in the dealings of countries such as (Russia - China - Belarus) in gold as an alternative to smuggled goods and oil.”
He added, "There is also a trend by the central banks of the world's countries to strengthen their reserves with gold instead of currencies and bonds."
He added, "In addition to the increase in inflation in the equivalent dollar amounts in the US economy, which increases the risks of the dollar and makes investment and savings tend towards gold."
He pointed out that “the scarcity of global gold sources in the face of a large population expansion creates a demand for gold as a result of societal uses such as marriage and others,” explaining that “if there is a rise in gold globally, prices inside Iraq will witness a rise, and if it decreases globally, there will also be a decrease inside Iraq.”
About a year ago, some gold traders resorted to buying dollars and making commercial transfers by purchasing quantities of gold, which enabled them to buy dollars at the official price, and contributed to additional profits through transfers via gold trading.
Al-Sudani directs to conclude contracts in euros
Number: Sh.Z.L / 1/10 / Uncles / 43488
Date: 9/19/2024
All Ministries / Minister's Office
All entities not affiliated with the Ministry
All governorates / Governor's Office
Subject / Offers, tenders, bids and contracts in European currency (Euro)
During the thirty-sixth regular session of the Council of Ministers held on 1/3/2024, the Prime Minister directed the following: Accepting offers and bids and concluding contracts for the European currency (the Euro) on par with the US dollar in accordance with the decisions of the Council of Ministers and the instructions issued by the Central Bank of Iraq regarding the US dollar.
To take what is required, with appreciation.
Despite the Israeli attack, the Iranian toman recovers against the US dollar
Today, Saturday (October 26, 2024), the Iranian toman recorded a remarkable recovery against the US dollar on the main Tehran Stock Exchange.
Baghdad Today correspondent said that the toman price today in Tehran's main stock exchange was recorded at 6 million and 500 thousand tomans for every 100 US dollars.
He added that this price is considered a significant change towards recovery after it recorded 6 million and 800 thousand tomans for every 100 US dollars yesterday.
Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iran early Saturday morning, and explosions were heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, although there was no information about any damage or injuries.
Four hours after the start of the operation, which Israel called "Days of Response," the Israeli army announced that it had completed the attack on military targets in Iran, that all of its aircraft that carried out the attack on Iran had returned safely to their bases, and that the operation had achieved all of its goals.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the attack was carried out under the direction of the political echelon in response to the Iranian regime's attacks against Israel and its citizens.
A senior US official said that the Israeli response to Iran has ended, and asked Tehran not to respond or escalate, stressing that if Iran decided to respond, "we will be fully prepared to defend Israel again and there will be dire consequences."
He added that this should be the end of the exchange of direct strikes between Israel and Iran.
The Israeli attack began shortly before 2 a.m. on Tehran, and shortly thereafter Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari announced the start of a precise and targeted attack on Iran.
Later, Israeli media reported a second wave of Israeli attacks against Iran, targeting sites, some of which were in Shiraz. Then, the American website Axios quoted Israeli and American officials as saying that Israel targeted Iran with three waves of strikes, and that the first waves of those Israeli strikes targeted Iran’s air defense system.
After about 4 hours, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority confirmed the end of the Israeli attack on Iran, in which hundreds of fighter jets participated. The New York Times also quoted Israeli officials as saying that the attack on Iran ended after striking about 20 sites.
Opening new branches of Rafidain and Rashid Banks in Sulaymaniyah
An informed source revealed, today, Saturday (October 26, 2024), that new branches of Rafidain and Rashid Banks will be opened in Sulaymaniyah Governorate during the coming week.
The source said in an interview with "Baghdad Today" that "approval was given to open branches of Rafidain and Rashid Banks in Sulaymaniyah Governorate," indicating that "the location was chosen in the middle of 60th Street in the city."
He added, "A branch of the Trade Bank of Iraq will be opened in Halabja Governorate, and branches of the Trade Bank of Iraq will be opened in the areas of Garmian and Raparin, with the aim of increasing the salary settlement centers in the federal banks, as a result of the great momentum in the bank's branch in Sulaymaniyah."
An informed source reported on Thursday (October 24, 2024) that the offices of the "My Account" project affiliated with the Kurdistan Regional Government in the city of Sulaymaniyah were closed, and that applications for settlement were limited to the Trade Bank of Iraq affiliated with the federal government.
The source said in an interview with "Baghdad Today" that "the decision was issued by the President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Pavel Talabani, more than 10 days ago, but now it has been implemented."
He added, "The application is currently exclusively at the Trade Bank of Iraq, and there is a large number of employees to localize their salaries. There is only one branch in Majidi Mall, and there are demands to open other branches of the bank, and also to open branches of Rafidain and Rashid, to localize all salaries."
Before that, the representative of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Gharib Ahmed, rejected the project of localizing salaries in the region, indicating that this decision came based on the directives of the party’s leader, Pavel Talabani, and in compliance with the decision of the Federal Court, which stipulates that salaries be localized in federal banks exclusively.
Speaking to Baghdad Today Agency on Monday (October 7, 2024), Ahmed explained that “localizing salaries in an accounting project will harm the interests of employees in the region,” stressing that “the optimal solution is to localize salaries in federal banks only, which ensures that salaries are paid on a monthly basis as is the case in the rest of the Iraqi governorates.”
On February 21, the Federal Court decided to “oblige Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, to localize the salaries of Kurdistan Region employees at outlets spread across the region or banks open and licensed by the Central Bank of Iraq, and to deduct them from the region’s budget for this year and the coming years.”
Government advisor outlines benefits of introducing technology into smart cities
The Prime Minister's Advisor for Digital Transformation and Communications, Hassan Al-Khatib, revealed on Saturday the importance of introducing technology into smart cities, while stressing that its introduction will speed up the development process and reduce the costs of housing units.
Al-Khatib said in a statement reported by the official news agency, and reviewed by "Al-Eqtisad News", that "there is an urgent need to introduce digital technology into the country's joints, especially in the most important projects that we are carrying out today in the large-scale architectural renaissance," noting that "we want cooperation between government institutions and the private sector in introducing digital technology to smart cities to accelerate and improve the urban development process that will reduce the costs of housing units."
He added that "if technology and automation are introduced into the process of designing and implementing housing units, it can achieve acceleration in the implementation of architectural projects many times over," indicating that "some institutions in the private sector have begun to consider introducing these technologies into the process of real estate investments and implementing major projects for housing units; to achieve a breakthrough in reducing construction costs and shortening time significantly."
Al-Khatib explained that "there are discussions with international companies to introduce technology in Iraq; to increase community awareness of technology," adding that "when introducing technology during construction, its cost will be lower and its performance will be much better than introducing it after completion."
The dollar at the official price at the airports of Sulaymaniyah and Erbil starting tomorrow
Iraqi parliament member, Briar Rashid, announced today, Saturday, that the Central Bank of Iraq will open outlets to sell foreign currency (dollars) to travelers at the airports of Sulaymaniyah and Erbil.
Rashid said in press statements monitored by Al-Masry that “we had previously asked the Central Bank of Iraq and the Trade Bank of Iraq to grant foreign currency (dollars) to travelers at the airports of Sulaymaniyah and Erbil, similar to the airports and border crossings in other regions of Iraq.”
He pointed out that "approvals were obtained for this, and it was decided, starting tomorrow, Sunday, to grant dollars to travelers at the two aforementioned airports to travelers at the official price according to the specified mechanisms," stressing that "travelers can buy dollars in amounts up to three thousand dollars."
For the first time since June 2023.. The Central Bank of Iraq reduces the interest rate
According to a document issued on Thursday by the Central Bank of Iraq and addressed to banks operating in Iraq, the bank decided to reduce the interest rate from 7.5% to 5.5%, in addition to reactivating the securities (Islamic certificate of deposit and money transfers) according to an annual plan and with two terms: with a return of 4% for a period of 14 days and a return of 5.5% for a period of 182 days.
The maximum investment ceiling was set at no more than 50% of the total private sector deposits in the bank, and the bank’s investment ceiling in a single auction should not exceed (500) billion Iraqi dinars.
This decision comes within the framework of the Central Bank’s preparations to end direct monitoring of financial transfers at banks, after launching an electronic platform in early 2023, which aims to enhance proactive monitoring of financial transfers.
According to an informed source in the bank, in a previous press statement, dealing in dollar transfers was limited to only six banks, while 13 banks will trade in other currencies, while the banks subject to US Federal Reserve sanctions remain under review by international auditing companies.
check this out he was getting paid by the UNHe works as an employee at UNRWA.. Israel announces the killing of a Hamas leader who participated in the "flood"
<image.png>The Israeli army announced the killing of a Hamas leader who "participated in the October 7 attack (Al-Aqsa Flood) and also worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip."
Israel says many of the agency's employees are members of Hamas and other armed groups.
The United Nations said in August that nine UNRWA employees were likely involved in the October 7 attacks and fired them. The Israeli military said Mohammed Abu Atiwi was a commander in an elite Hamas force who had been involved in killing and kidnapping Israeli civilians. It also said he had been working for UNRWA since July 2022 and that his name appeared on the agency’s employee list.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the army said that "Atwi is the terrorist who led the attack on a shelter on Route 232 in the Re'im area in southern Israel during the October 7 attack."
UNRWA confirmed that Atwi was an employee and that he was killed on Wednesday. It said his name was included in a letter the agency received from Israel in July that included a list of 100 employees who were said to be members of armed groups, including Hamas.
“The UNRWA Commissioner-General responded to this letter immediately and stressed that the Agency takes any allegations seriously, and urged the Government of Israel to cooperate with the Agency by providing more information so that he can take action,” said Juliette Touma, UNRWA Director of Communications.
UNRWA provides education, health and humanitarian aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Its relations with Israel have long been tense, but relations have deteriorated sharply since the war in Gaza, and Israel has repeatedly called for the agency's mandate to be ended.
"Israel has requested urgent clarifications from senior UN officials and an urgent investigation into the involvement of UNRWA employees in the October 7 massacre," Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said.
this would be a good thing
Israel hints at imminent end of ground operation in Lebanon
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported on Friday evening that the ground operation in Lebanon has reached its final stages and may end within a week.
The Authority quoted senior officials in the Israeli security establishment as saying that "the ground operation in southern Lebanon is in its final stages, and the ground maneuver is expected to end within a week or two, if no changes are made at the last minute, and according to operational and political considerations."
She added, "From a military standpoint, the army has achieved great accomplishments on the contact line in southern Lebanon, with the dismantling of many of Hezbollah's infrastructures."
This was earlier in the day
Official Iraqi concern over the expansion of the escalation in the region into its territory
<image.png>On Friday, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein expressed Iraq's concern about the possibility of the current escalation in the region expanding to include its territories.
The Iraqi minister's statement came during his meeting in Paris with a number of representatives of French and Arab media on the sidelines of his participation in an international conference to support Lebanon.
Hussein said, "Iraq is seeking, through its international contacts, to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, and is working to prevent its airspace from entering into the conflict."
He added that "the issue of peace and war is in the hands of the Iraqi government and parliament, not in the hands of other parties," noting that he had previously "emphasized this principle."
"The Iraqi airspace is not a battlefield," Fouad Hussein said.
The Iraqi minister pointed out that communication is ongoing between Iraq and the United States within the framework of the security agreement between the two countries, which includes joint commitments to protect Iraq. He stressed that the American side showed understanding of the need to keep Iraq away from the conflict.
The Iraqi Foreign Minister also warned of the "return" of the terrorist organization ISIS.
US media: Israel has begun its attack on Iran
American media reported, at dawn on Saturday, that the Israeli response to Iran had begun, by targeting several sites.
An Israeli official told Fox News that the goal of the Israeli strikes on Iran is deterrence.
This comes after several explosions in the capital, Tehran, and the neighboring city of Karaj.
Tel Aviv and Tehran have not yet announced any details about the matter.
Tel Aviv has repeatedly vowed to respond to the Iranian attack, while Washington has urged it to limit its attacks to military bases and not Iranian oil and nuclear facilities.
These developments come after Tehran launched more than 180 missiles towards Israel on October 1, targeting three Israeli air bases. Iran said it was in response to the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July, as well as an Iranian Revolutionary Guard general who was with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on the day of his assassination in the southern suburbs of Beirut on September 27.
this is from Iranian news
The air defense intercepted and countered the attack of the Zionist regime on parts of the military centers
According to IRNA, it is stated in the public relations notice of the Air Defense of the country: To the noble nation of Iran, despite the previous warnings of the officials of the Islamic Republic to the criminal and illegal Zionist regime to avoid any adventurous action, this fake regime acted in an act of tension this morning. za has attacked military centers in Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam provinces, and while successfully intercepted and countered by the integrated air defense system of the country with this aggressive action, limited damage has been done to some places, the dimensions of the incident are under investigation. isIn the continuation of this announcement, it is stated: In this regard, while inviting the people to maintain peace and solidarity, they are requested to follow the news related to this incident through the national media and not to pay attention to the rumors of the enemy media.
Iranian official: No need for exaggeration.. Israeli raids are few and our anti-aircraft missiles are working<image.png>An Iranian military source reported that the raids that Tehran witnessed were few, stressing that Iranian anti-aircraft weapons are working to confront them, stressing the need not to exaggerate.
Israel announces end of its attack on Iran, Tehran says it repelled it
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority announced, on Saturday morning, the end of a three-wave attack on Iran, while Tehran stated that its air defenses had confronted it.
The Israeli army said: We carried out precise strikes against military targets in a number of areas in Iran, targeting Iranian missile factories used in attacks on Israel.
He added: "We targeted Iranian surface-to-air missiles and military capabilities, including drones, and that the strike came in response to Iranian attacks against Israel."
For its part, the New York Times reported that the Israeli operation against Iran ended after hitting about 20 targets.
Meanwhile, the American website "Axios" said that the second and third waves on Iran focused on missile bases and drones.
In the first official comment on the Israeli attacks, the Iranian air defense confirmed that it had confronted Israel's attempt to attack some places in the country.
Meanwhile, Civil Aviation announced the suspension of all flights in the country until further notice.
Tel Aviv has repeatedly vowed to respond to the Iranian attack, while Washington has urged it to limit its attacks to military bases and not Iranian oil and nuclear facilities.
These developments come after Tehran launched more than 180 missiles towards Israel on October 1, targeting three Israeli air bases. Iran said it was in response to the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July, as well as an Iranian Revolutionary Guard general who was with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on the day of his assassination in the southern suburbs of Beirut on September 27.
Pentagon: We did not detect any targeting in Iraq
A US Department of Defense official told Alhurra TV that no targeting has been detected in Iraq so far, indicating that there is no change in the "positioning of US forces at this stage."The official added that the Pentagon has a clear assessment so far of the targets that Israel struck, and the extent of the success of these strikes.
The Israeli army announced on Saturday that it had carried out "precisely targeted strikes on military targets in Iran, and said that these operations come in response to the ongoing attacks by the Iranian regime against Israel in recent months."
All additional US forces the Pentagon ordered to the Middle East earlier this month arrived in the region before the Israeli strikes on Iran, a US defence official told Voice of America on Friday.
Earlier on Friday, US Central Command, which oversees US forces across the Middle East, announced the arrival of additional F-16 fighter jets from Germany.
On September 30, the US Department of Defense announced that the United States would send "a few thousand" additional troops to the Middle East to bolster security and defend Israel, if necessary, according to the Associated Press.
The additional troop presence will come from the Air Force and several fighter squadrons, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.
from OCT 26 2024
Iranian government: Zionist attack caused limited losses
The Islamic Republic of Iran confirmed, today, Saturday, that the Zionist attack caused limited losses.
"The Zionist attack caused limited losses," said the spokeswoman for the Islamic Republic of Iran, Fatemeh Mohajerani, in a statement followed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), noting that "the air defense force of the Islamic Republic of Iran in confronting the Zionist aggression makes the Iranian people proud of their defensive capabilities."
She added that "the official data of the country's air defense showed that the damage was limited," calling on "citizens to remain calm, stay away from rumors, and follow the news only from official media and air defense force data."
Don't respond" We will end the escalation.. Israel's message to Iran before carrying out the strike
The American website "Axios" reported on Saturday that Israel notified Iran before carrying out its strike last night and asked them to "not respond" to end this period, noting that this warning was intended to "prevent a wider escalation" between the two sides.
The website quoted three informed American sources as saying, “A few hours before the attack, Israel sent messages to Tehran asking it not to respond,” adding, “The Iranians received a general explanation in advance about what would be attacked and what would not be attacked.”
He added that "the Israeli message was an attempt to limit the ongoing exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran and prevent a wider escalation," explaining that "the Israeli message was conveyed to the Iranians through several third parties."
The sources continued: "The first wave of the Israeli attack focused on Iranian air defense systems, while the second and third waves focused on missile bases, drones, and weapons production sites."
While two other sources said that Israel warned the Iranians against responding to the attack and stressed that if Iran responded, Israel "will carry out another, more significant attack," especially if Israeli civilians were killed or wounded.
Axios confirmed that the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "did not respond to a request for comment on this information."
Meanwhile, a US official said the United States was not involved in the Israeli operation but if Iran retaliated, the United States was prepared to defend Israel against such an attack.
"This should be the end of direct military responses between Israel and Iran," the official added, explaining that "if Iran attacks Israel again, there will be consequences. We have informed Iran of this directly and indirectly."
Baghdad awaits new White House administration, fears of
'rough policy'
The chances of Republican candidate and former US President Donald Trump to win the presidential elections, which are only days away, have cast their shadow over the Iraqi reality in light of the tense regional situation, as observers expected the White House to show a "rough and tough" policy towards the Iraqi political class and factions, which could negatively affect Iraq in general, while others downplayed these fears, based on the fact that US policy is the same regardless of presidents, expecting relations to Witness a new era of stability with the end of the current regional war.
Washington-based political analyst Nizar Haidar says that “Republicans consider Iraq their winning prize, considering that they are the ones who changed the political system in 2003, and that they were the ones who controlled everything related to it for more than two decades.”
Americans will head to the polls on November 5 to elect the next US president, as the competition intensifies between former Republican President Donald Trump and current Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris after current President Joe Biden withdrew from running for the elections.
Rough policy!
Haider believes that “Trump is pursuing more extreme policies towards Iraq and the region. He is trying to influence the change in the paths of the Republican Party, not the opposite. With his return to the White House, Iraq will witness harsh and strict American policies, in contrast to what he saw from the current Democratic administration, which has continued to deal with the ruling political class in Baghdad in a soft manner, except in necessary cases in which the administration had no choice but to deal harshly, which was represented by the bombing operations carried out by armed factions.”
He stressed that "if the Republicans return to the White House, Iraq will move its relationship with Washington to what we can call a friend-enemy, as Trump treats it as a backyard for its eastern neighbor, Iran, and thus Iraq will return as a negotiating card between Washington and Tehran, and this is something that greatly harms Iraq, especially since the relationship between Baghdad and Tehran on the one hand and Trump on the other hand goes back to the airport incident in 2020 (referring to the assassination of Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis), as Tehran is still looking for revenge, and Baghdad wants to arrest him through the warrant issued by the Iraqi judiciary in 2021, which was announced at the time by the head of the judiciary, Faiq Zidane. "
Trump had made a bold decision after ordering the assassination of Iranian Quds Force Commander General Qassem Soleimani Deputy and Chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis on January 3, 2020, in an airstrike near Baghdad airport, which plunged Iraqi-American relations , which had been relatively stable, into a new phase of turmoil, tension and embarrassment, as attacks by Iraqi armed factions against American forces began to escalate across Iraq.
On January 7, 2022, the Supreme Judicial Council announced the issuance of an arrest warrant from the Rusafa Investigation Court in Baghdad for former US President Donald Trump, as part of the investigation into the assassination of Popular Mobilization Forces Commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a US strike in Baghdad, along with Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
Regarding the strategic framework agreement signed between Baghdad and Washington in 2008, which was enacted by the House of Representatives, the Washington-based political analyst believes that “it will be in jeopardy if the Republicans return to the White House, while attempts to activate it will continue to proceed like a turtle if the Democrats remain in the Oval Office.”
Haidar concludes that “Trump sees the Middle East region in only two colors; black and white, and therefore Iraq will face a difficult test to determine one of the two colors,” noting that “the Republicans do not believe in the policy of distancing oneself or holding the stick from the middle that Baghdad always repeats regarding developments in the region, unlike the Democrats who excuse Baghdad and understand its complex position amid the escalating crises in the region.”
Just two weeks before the start of the elections, polls showed that Republican candidate Donald Trump had a 52 percent lead over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who received only 42 percent, while the campaigns of the two candidates are intensifying, as they tour the most influential states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in the east of the country, while Trump continues his stinging verbal attacks against Harris, branding her as a “failed vice president.”
For his part, Professor of Public Policy at the University of Baghdad, Ihsan Al-Shammari, believes that “the United States of America does not rely on people and names. Democrats and Republicans may differ on details, but they put national security and American interests first, and these are constants.”
Decisions and sanctions
Regarding dealing with the Iraqi and regional situation, Al-Shammari does not see any difference between Trump and his counterparts from the Democratic Party. “You notice that the Democrats, led by Biden or Harris, are disturbed by the activity of the armed factions and are concerned with the security of American bases and the security of Israel, so we do not rule out that they may give the green light to Israel to target Iraq, and this is not far-fetched, although they have shown flexibility in with Iraq on some issues,” he adds.
However, Al-Shammari believes that “if Trump returns to the presidency in light of the current situation, he will be more severe on Iraq, and of course on the armed factions and Iran, and he may take radical decisions, especially since the factions.” still oppose the American presence, and this may push the Republican administration to show more severity in the form of decisions or sanctions.”
During his first term in office, Trump had special visions and ideas for dealing with Iraq, as he repeatedly repeated his threats against Iran to direct “major retaliation” against it if it launched attacks on American interests in Iraq and the region, but Tehran did so by bombing the Ain al-Assad base and several attacks after the assassination of Soleimani and al-Muhandis.
Trump also tried to develop his vision for strategic relations with Iraq according to the principles he set: limiting the Iranian presence in Iraq, strengthening the American military presence and protecting soldiers, and extracting facilities from Iraq for the freedom of movement of American forces, even if their activity overlaps with the American military presence in eastern Syria. When he took office, he also pledged to end the presence of ISIS in Iraq within 100 days, send more soldiers to Iraq, and work to establish a friendly government in Baghdad.
A new era
In addition, the director of the Iraqi Center for Strategic Studies, Ghazi Faisal, believes that "US foreign policy and international interests, whether in Iraq or the Middle East, are determined by US institutions. It is a state of institutions, whether its president is Trump or Harris, and therefore there will be no major radical changes.”
Regarding the position of the next US government on the current regional situation, he adds: “Certainly, when the elections are over and the new US president appears at the beginning of the new year, the war in the Middle East will be over and the The situation will move towards building peace and drawing a new map for political relations. When Iraq, as a government, takes a neutral and balanced position, it will move towards strengthening the relationship based on mutual interests, whether with Harris or Trump, according to the strategic framework agreement."
Regarding the position of the new president on the armed factions, he indicates that "these factions will be linked to Iran's positions. If the latter goes after this war towards isolation, respecting international law and the UN Charter, and not interfering in the sovereign affairs of states, there will certainly be a different Middle East. What is expected is that Iran will not continue to support the factions after Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen received strong blows in this war.”
The recent war on Gaza and Lebanon witnessed a series of assassinations carried out by Israel against leaders of the resistance loyal to Iran, most notably the leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, and Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, leaders of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.
Faisal insists that "the next phase will witness important transformations in the level of Iraqi-American relations after the end of this war and the return of peace and security in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf, and these transformations are based on mutual interests in various economic aspects such as gas production, alternative energy and environmental issues."
Focused on just one phrase.. Washington sent 4 messages an hour before targeting Tehran - Urgent
The source said in an interview with Baghdad Today, "America realized that Iran is serious about going to a higher stage in the conflict with Israel if it bombs specific targets in the depths, whether nuclear stations, oil or gas facilities, or decision-making centers, noting that the guide gave his orders that going to a comprehensive war is contingent on any upcoming response."
He added, "With the approach of the presidential elections and the increasing losses of its ally Israel in the battles of southern Lebanon and Gaza, Washington realized that opening a more dangerous front with Tehran could lead to labyrinths that would not stop at certain borders but would include the entire region in light of the danger of an energy war or targeting nuclear stations and the Iranian response that could tip the scales."
The source pointed out that "Washington sent 4 messages via Iraqi mediators to Tehran approximately an hour before the Israeli response, according to the information, which revealed several points, most notably that it does not want to expand the circle of war and that Iran should avoid responding, but it did not include specifying the targets that would be targeted, but perhaps the matter was done through another Gulf mediator."
Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iran early Saturday morning, and explosions were heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, although there was no information about any damage or injuries.
Four hours after the start of the operation, which Israel called "Days of Response," the Israeli army announced that it had completed the attack on military targets in Iran, that all of its aircraft that carried out the attack on Iran had returned safely to their bases, and that the operation had achieved all of its goals.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the attack was carried out under the direction of the political echelon in response to the Iranian regime's attacks against Israel and its citizens.
A senior US official said that the Israeli response to Iran has ended, and asked Tehran not to respond or escalate, stressing that if Iran decided to respond, "we will be fully prepared to defend Israel again and there will be dire consequences."
He added that this should be the end of the exchange of direct strikes between Israel and Iran.
The Israeli attack began shortly before 2 a.m. on Tehran, and shortly thereafter Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari announced the start of a precise and targeted attack on Iran.
Later, Israeli media reported a second wave of Israeli attacks against Iran, targeting sites, some of which were in Shiraz. Then, the American website Axios quoted Israeli and American officials as saying that Israel targeted Iran with three waves of strikes, and that the first waves of those Israeli strikes targeted Iran’s air defense system.
After about 4 hours, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority confirmed the end of the Israeli attack on Iran, in which hundreds of fighter jets participated. The New York Times also quoted Israeli officials as saying that the attack on Iran ended after striking about 20 sites.
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