How much cash is actually available in the vaults of the Central Bank of Iraq?
Economic expert Nabil Al-Marsoumi revealed the amount of cash available in the vaults of the Central Bank of Iraq, indicating that it amounts to only about 1.7 trillion dinars.
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Al-Marsoumi said in a televised interview followed by Al-Sa’a Network that “the cash reserve of the Central Bank of Iraq is distributed across three axes. The first axis is gold, as Iraq’s gold purchases amounted to about 28 trillion dinars.”
He added that "the second axis includes the investments of the Central Bank of Iraq in US Treasury bonds, European Central Bank bonds, in addition to deposits, which are estimated at about 98 trillion dinars."
He pointed out that "the third axis is the cash actually available inside the Central Bank of Iraq, which does not exceed 1.7 trillion dinars only."
An economist reveals the size of the Central Bank of Iraq's foreign reserves as of September 30, 2025
Economic expert Nabil Al-Marsawi revealed the total foreign reserves at the Central Bank of Iraq as of September 30, 2025, which amounted to $98.155 billion, equivalent to 127.601 trillion Iraqi dinars.
Al-Marsawi explained that the distribution of reserves was as follows:
Gold: 27.552 trillion dinars
Investments: 98.308 trillion dinars
Cash reserves at the Central Bank: 1.741 trillion dinars
He added that the investments include investing in US and UK Treasury bonds and bonds of other countries, in addition to purchasing sukuk in the Islamic Development Bank and placing deposits in various banks.
Japanese Ambassador: New projects in Iraq
Baghdad/Al-Masalla: The Japanese Ambassador to Iraq, Akira Endo, announced on Sunday the imminent launch of new projects in Iraq, while also pointing to details of the sewage project in Erbil.
The ambassador said in a statement followed by Al-Masalla that there are ongoing discussions and talks with Iraqi ministries about new Japanese projects, noting that we are waiting for the formation of the new government in Iraq to launch a number of them.
He noted that during last September, a new sanitation project was signed, centered in the northern region of Iraq in Erbil, adding that we are looking forward to new projects during the coming year.
He stated that the sewage project in Erbil consists of two phases, noting that the project's cost is estimated at $300 million.
The Sudanese government directs the release of a new batch of payments owed to contractors.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed on Sunday the release of a new batch of payments for completed work as part of a series of payments to Iraqi contractors.
The office of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement received by Al-Ghad Press that he chaired a meeting on Sunday regarding the contractual obligations of contractors, in the presence of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Planning and the head of the Contractors Union.
According to the statement, the meeting included a review of the details of contractual obligations, their amounts, and the sums due to contractors implementing projects for all ministries and governorates, in order to guarantee the rights of contracting companies and support the stability of the construction sector, which is one of the most important drivers of the national economy.
Al-Sudani directed the release of a new batch of payments for completed work as part of a series of payments to Iraqi contractors, stressing the government's commitment to monitoring projects and their implementation phases and ensuring the payment of financial dues to contractors, in order to move forward with infrastructure and service projects.
Sources close to the White House: Trump's envoy now has a clear plan for the priorities of dialogue with the new Iraqi government.
Sources close to the White House said that US President Donald Trump’s envoy to Iraq, Mark Savaya, will visit Baghdad and Erbil in the north of the country early next year, in his first visit since his appointment, explaining that Savaya now has a clear plan for the priorities of dialogue with officials of the central government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq.
Sources close to the White House explained that Savaya's meeting with Trump at the president's family resort in Florida focused particularly on the Trump administration's demands of the Baghdad government, especially after a number of Iraqi Shiite factions announced their willingness to relinquish their weapons and place their arms and personnel under the authority of the central security forces in Baghdad. However, the process is not yet complete, due to the refusal of at least two factions and several Shiite elements to accept the new reality.
High-ranking sources in the White House revealed details and contents of the closed meeting between US President Donald Trump and Mark Savaya, indicating that the main focus of the meeting was on discussing sensitive security issues and outlining the future of diplomatic and strategic relations between Washington and Baghdad.
On Sunday, December 28, 2025, senior sources within the White House revealed details of the closed-door meeting between US President Donald Trump and his special envoy to Iraq, Mark Savaya, explaining that "sensitive issues and the future of relations between the United States and Iraq" were the main topics of discussion.
The sources added that, at the beginning of next year, Mark Savaya, Trump’s special envoy to Iraq, is scheduled to make his first official visit to Baghdad and Erbil.
According to the information, the aim of the visit is not limited to launching a series of traditional dialogues, but rather aims to present a clear roadmap to officials of the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, which includes the priorities of the new US administration.
The "My Account" project team announces the electronic distribution of salaries to 627,000 people this month.
The "My Account" project team announced on Sunday that the disbursement of October salaries will include approximately 628,000 employees, retirees, and security personnel, whose salaries will be delivered via the digital system.
The team confirmed in a statement that the process of distributing salaries electronically has witnessed remarkable development, noting that the total number of salary recipients during this month will reach 627,832 people.
The statement explained that the salary recipients were distributed among 330,000 civil servants, 88,000 retirees, and 197,000 members of the Asayish and Peshmerga forces.
The data showed that Erbil Governorate topped the list with 319,491 beneficiaries, followed by Duhok Governorate with 164,314 people, and then Sulaymaniyah Governorate with 144,027 people.
The project team indicated that the registration process for the "My Account" project is still ongoing, with the number of registered individuals exceeding 900,000, while more than 663,000 bank cards have been distributed.
The statement revealed that 602,000 people received their September salaries via bank cards, while also confirming the installation of more than 517 ATMs distributed across 200 locations.
New airlines to Indonesia and Thailand
The Ministry of Transport announced plans to create new air routes to both Indonesia and Thailand, as part of a plan to expand Iraq’s international air network and enhance connectivity with Southeast Asian countries, in line with the increasing demand for travel for tourism, study, medical treatment and trade.
The director of the ministry’s media office, Maitham Al-Safi, told Al-Sabah: “Including these destinations represents a qualitative addition to the network of foreign flights, and provides citizens with multiple and safe travel options at competitive prices, noting that the ministry seeks through this expansion to enhance communication between Iraq and the countries of the region and to encourage economic and tourism activity.”
Al-Safi affirmed that the ministry is proceeding with the development of the civil aviation sector and expanding its international flight network in accordance with global standards, and enhancing Iraq’s position in the field of air transport at the regional and international levels.
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Session of sessions
Monday's parliament: the "key" to the three presidencies and the gateway to drawing the map of power in Iraq
All eyes will be on Monday (December 29, 2025) on a parliamentary session described as the most sensitive since the start of the recent political elections, not only because it will put the parliament in control of its presidency, but also because it represents an early gateway to determining the direction of the three presidencies, and an initial test of the blocs’ ability to produce a balanced settlement before moving on to more weighty issues related to the formation of the government, the cabinet, and the course of agreements within the state.
Why is tomorrow's session crucial?
Rebin Salam, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, said that tomorrow’s session is a historic and pivotal moment in the course of the political process in Iraq, both internally regarding the formation of the cabinet and in taking the first step to determine the three presidencies.
Salam explained in an exclusive interview with “Baghdad Today” that tomorrow’s session is the most complex compared to the rest of the political entitlements, because it is dedicated, according to the Iraqi constitution, to choosing the presidential body of the House of Representatives, and not just the Speaker of the House, indicating that the selection of this body is directly linked to the entitlements of the other components, and is not limited to the Sunni component.
Background to the session: A full presidential body, not just one position.
The sensitivity of the session is highlighted by the fact that it does not decide on a single position, but rather draws up a complete structure within the legislative institution through the election of the president and his two deputies, which makes it a pivotal point for subsequent paths, because the confirmation of the parliament’s presidency often reflects on the form of consensus regarding the other two sovereign positions in the state, and turns the vote into a political signal that goes beyond the parliament hall towards the entire map of power.
According to Salam, the complexity of the session is not due to the names alone, but rather to the fact that the “Presidency Body” is linked to the balances of the components, the arrangements of the blocs, and what it may open up to in terms of mutual demands when moving to the presidency of the Republic and the premiership, which makes any detail within Parliament counted within a broader basket of calculations.
The most prominent issue: First Deputy and Second Deputy
Salam pointed out that the main problem lies in choosing the first and second deputy speakers of the House of Representatives, as they constitute the most prominent obstacle in this entitlement, noting that the position of second deputy is currently occupied by Shakhwan Abdullah, who belongs to the Kurdistan Democratic Party, at a time when it is likely that the position of President of the Republic will be allocated to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which adds more complexity to the scene.
In this context, the issue of the two deputies turns into a double balancing test: a balance within the parliament related to the distribution of influence within the presidency, and another balance related to what will become of the “basket of entitlements” at the state level, especially within the Kurdish house, with the likelihood of the presidency going to the Patriotic Union, in contrast to the Democratic Party’s adherence to its position within the parliament’s presidency.
Other blocs' positions: Sensitivity to combining positions
Salam added that the distribution of these positions is also linked to the positions of other political blocs, including the Development and Reconstruction bloc, which does not tend to combine the premiership and the first deputy speaker of parliament within one political entity, which makes the consensus process more complicated and sensitive, because the dispute here is not about one position in isolation from others, but rather about the shape of the balance within the authority, and the limits of concentrating the decision in one entity.
What will the session reveal?
Salam concluded by saying that the outcomes of tomorrow’s session will reveal the features of the next stage and clearly define the political path for the other two sovereign positions in the state, namely the presidency and the second position in the Iraqi power pyramid, indicating that what will happen inside the parliament will not remain limited to electing the council’s leadership, but will turn into an indicator of the direction of future settlements, either the beginning of a smooth understanding process, or the beginning of a complication that extends to the rest of the entitlements.
Experts: Automation and fair tax collection are key to economic reform
Economic experts have praised the Ministerial Council for the Economy's call to enhance electricity collection, review current tariffs, and adopt automation across all government sectors. These experts believe this approach represents a reform path that encourages more efficient consumption. They also described automated bill collection as the cornerstone of any genuine reform, whether in the electricity sector or other sectors, due to its potential for transparency, reduced corruption, and less waste of public funds.
Economic researcher and academic Dr. Kazem Eidan considered electricity billing to be a social, regulatory, and reformative responsibility that reduces waste, as well as establishing the principle of fairness in the distribution of burdens, to create a state of balance to ensure the continuity of service and improve quality.
Sustainability and fairness
Eidan added, in an interview with Al-Sabah, that strengthening tax collection, reviewing the current tariff, and adopting automation in all sectors is an interconnected reform path, and none of its elements can be separated from the other, if the services sector is to be sustainable and fair.
It is noted that the Ministerial Council for the Economy called for strengthening electricity collection, reviewing the current tariff, and adopting automation in all government sectors.
Reducing waste
Eidan continued, saying that the current tariff does not encourage rationalizing consumption, but rather contributes to perpetuating waste. He pointed out the need to adopt the principle of fairness in collection, meaning protecting those with limited income with a tariff that differs from factory and project owners, in a way that ensures that costs are accurately calculated and made closer to reality. He noted that this requires more awareness campaigns about the importance of collection in improving electricity and ensuring sustainability.
The spokesperson stressed the need to avoid imposing financial burdens on citizens without any tangible return, noting that reform requires fairness and transparency, especially for those with limited income, in order to create a state of balance.
global procedure
For her part, economic researcher Suhad al-Shammari explained that government taxation is a standard practice in all countries worldwide, based on the services the state provides to its citizens. She pointed out that attempts by some to abolish government taxes and the entire tax collection system do not serve the country's best interests. Speaking to Al-Sabah newspaper, al-Shammari stated that electricity billing is one of the most important sources of budget revenue, expressing her regret that it has not been fully understood and its implications have not been clarified. She emphasized the need to explain the role of electricity billing in bolstering budget funds and increasing revenues to serve the public good.
Dual payment mechanism
Al-Shammari stressed the need to eliminate the dual payment system for electricity, which relies on both government-provided power and private generators, to ease the burden on ordinary citizens. She also emphasized the importance of different payment mechanisms for the industrial and public sectors. It's worth noting that the Ministry of Electricity recently announced that 58% of the supplied power is uncontrolled and uncollected. Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Moussa stated that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia'a al-Sudani and Minister of Electricity Ziad Ali Fadhil are holding ongoing meetings to oversee the electricity sector's preparedness for peak demand periods, both winter and summer. He explained that these meetings focus on load balancing, addressing the needs of load centers and central and peripheral areas, and resolving bottlenecks in the electricity grid. All of these issues are under continuous review by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Electricity, and ministry staff.
Controlling losses
He added that "the Prime Minister focused in his continuous meetings on the issue of collecting electricity fees, controlling loads, and regulating violations on distribution networks in agricultural and informal areas in a systematic manner, while reviewing electricity supply hours and energy returns, whether produced, consumed, or distributed," explaining that "the volume of losses in electrical energy is large, and the ministry bears large sums for its production and transmission," noting that "the Prime Minister stressed the need to take measures to limit these losses."
Development Cooperation Agreement: A New Phase in the Partnership between the United Nations and Iraq
Focus on education and health priorities, diversifying the economy, and addressing climate change.
A United Nations report indicated that the expiration of the UNAMI mission's mandate at the end of this year in Iraq marks a qualitative shift in the nature of the country's relationship with UN agencies. This shift moves from supporting political stability to establishing a sustainable development partnership through a long-term cooperation framework. This framework will focus on key strategic priorities, including education, health, promoting economic growth, protecting the environment, and addressing climate change, while also strengthening the rule of law and governance.
The report stated that improving access to education, protecting the environment, and strengthening governance are among the areas in which the UN assists countries to make progress.
On Thursday, the UN and Iraq signed a new agreement, the Cooperation Framework for Sustainable Development 2025–2029, to help the country advance its national goals, which are also reflected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by member states in 2015
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The signing of the agreement comes ahead of the closure of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), which has supported the Iraqi government on key policy issues for more than two decades.
UNAMI Chief of Mission, Mohammed Al-Hassan, stated, “The signing of the framework represents a natural and honorable transition in the relationship between the United Nations and the Republic of Iraq. It reflects an orderly and responsible shift from supporting political stability to establishing
a sustainable development partnership between Iraq and the organization.” The report noted that to achieve the 2030 Agenda, which includes the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), countries need to work not only collectively but also play their part at the national level. Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (SDGs) are agreements between the United Nations and individual governments that provide countries with the tools necessary to achieve these goals, from planning to implementation and monitoring.
The framework for Iraq focuses on four key strategic priorities aligned with the country’s National Development Plan. These include improving access to education, health, and social services; creating jobs and promoting economic growth; protecting the environment and
addressing the impacts of climate change; and strengthening the rule of law and good governance.
The UN-Iraq Development Framework will be implemented, monitored, and reported on by a steering committee co-chaired by the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and the UN Resident Coordinator, who leads the UN Country Team.
Government institutions and UN agencies will work together to review progress annually and ensure the framework remains on track.
Implementation will be supported by a dedicated fund, along with a strategy to mobilize the necessary resources.
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) was established in 2003 following the fall of the previous regime after the US-led invasion of Iraq. It has supported Iraq through its political transition, post-war recovery, and the fight against ISIS.
The mandate of the Special Political Mission ends on December 31. With the situation in Iraq significantly more stable than it was some 20 years ago, the country is now working to strengthen its self-reliance.
Al-Hassan told UN News earlier, "Iraq believes it is now ready to move to the next stage, which is consolidating its sovereignty and territorial integrity. I firmly believe that Iraq is ready for this."
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, during his meeting on Saturday with the head of the UNAMI mission on the occasion of the mission's completion, stated that Iraq's relationship with the United Nations would continue, as would the bilateral programs on which cooperation is ongoing.
Al-Sudani said in a statement issued by his media office, which Al-Mada obtained, "The end of UNAMI's mission means that Iraqi state institutions have been able to deliver the best levels of performance in carrying out their constitutional and legal duties, a step that strengthens national sovereignty."
UNAMI's head, Al-Hassan, said that Iraq had achieved significant progress in recent years under the current government, contributing to this day, and indicated that work with Iraq would continue on various programs.
The parliamentary finance committee anticipates that the 2026 budget law will be enacted in the second half of next year.
: Member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Mu'in al-Kadhim, indicated that the federal budget for 2026 is likely to be passed in the second half of next year, noting that the government will operate on a 1/12th system until the budget is enacted.
Al-Kadhim stated, "The new government will prioritize passing the budget law for 2026, and the vote on this law may be delayed until the middle of next year."
He added, "The process of forming the government, followed by the Ministry of Finance and Planning submitting the budget to the Council of Ministers for approval and then sending it to Parliament for legislation, are all factors that will delay the budget's passage."
He clarified that "next year's budget will be a single-year budget, unlike previous three-year budgets. During the first six months of next year, spending will be based on the 1/12th system used in the previous year, and the budget will then be passed in the second half of next year."
Sudani: Our relationship with countries in the region and the world is based on economic partnerships.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani affirmed that Iraq’s relations with the countries of the region and the world are based on economic partnerships.
He added that Iraq's relations with countries in the region and the world are based on economic partnerships, given Iraq's geostrategic location and its vast natural and human resources. He emphasized the importance of the relationship with the United States within the economic framework, given its companies and technology, from which Iraq can benefit from its experience.
He explained that Iraq and Syria have great opportunities to improve the economic situation, including the Kirkuk-Banias oil export pipeline.
The Iraqi economy and the erosion of GDP: Structural causes and countermeasures.
Dr. Haitham Hamid Mutlaq Al-Mansour
There is much more to this article click the link above to see the full article.
The year 2025 serves as a wake-up call for the Iraqi economy, underscoring that the oil sector alone is no longer sufficient to sustain economic activity. The decisions made in the coming years will likely determine whether Iraq succeeds in transforming its abundant natural resources into genuine development and an efficient economy, or whether it remains trapped in a cycle of rentierism, awaiting a new oil shock that will revive the same old questions. Hence, the issue of output volatility and its management is of paramount importance in adjusting the economy's trajectory amidst increasing population growth and numerous deep-seated structural problems that affect the very core of the economy.
Iraq's GDP is experiencing a continuous and chronic decline, despite the country possessing the world's third-largest oil reserves. This decline is not unexpected; rather, it is the cumulative result of decades of economic mismanagement and inefficiencies in budget estimation and execution. IMF data for 2025 indicates that Iraq's nominal GDP is estimated at approximately $265.45 billion, a significant decrease from the previous year.
Tracing the historical trajectory of Iraq's GDP reveals three distinct phases:
1. The steady growth phase (1970-1980): The gross domestic product witnessed rapid growth during the seventies, driven by the nationalization of oil and rising global prices, as it rose from $2.3 billion in 1970 to $31 billion in 1979.
2. The period of decline (1980-2003): The country was plunged into a devastating war with Iran (1980-1988), followed by the Gulf War and comprehensive international sanctions, which led to the collapse of the gross domestic product to only $400 million in 1991. The International Monetary Fund estimated that the nominal GDP values during this period ranged between $15.8 billion in 2003 and $36.6 billion in 2004, as a result of the severe decline experienced by the economy.
3. The Growth and Fluctuations Phase (2003-2025): Despite the significant rise driven by the oil price boom, the Iraqi economy remained vulnerable to global market volatility and volatile political changes. According to economic data, nominal GDP reached its historical peak in 2022 at $287.37 billion, with an annual growth rate of 7.7%. It then gradually declined to $265.45 billion in 2025, with an annual growth rate of 0.5%, after experiencing a negative annual growth rate of 0.2% in 2024. As a result of this decline, per capita GDP fell to -7.1% in 2025, indicating a real problem evident in the annual GDP growth rates and, consequently, the annual per capita GDP change. This negative impact on living standards, the economy, and investment is significant.
Calls to remove oil from the budget: A bold reform path or a gamble that could undermine Iraq's financial stability?
The phrase “oil belongs to the people” has been transformed from a constitutional text that is supposed to establish economic justice and sustainable development, into a slogan that is invoked during crises without actually being reflected in the structure of the Iraqi economy.
After decades of almost complete dependence on oil revenues, questions are mounting about the viability of this model, especially in light of the disruption of productive sectors, the decline of agriculture and industry, and the continued fragility of the budget in the face of fluctuations in oil prices.
As the next year and the upcoming budget discussions approach, the debate resurfaces regarding the meaning of public ownership of oil, the limits of its use, and the possibility of moving towards a diversified economy that reduces dependence on a single resource that has proven to be as much a source of danger as a source of funding.
Experts believe that continuing to link the general budget to oil revenues deepens the structural imbalances in the Iraqi economy and keeps the state hostage to the fluctuations of global markets. They warn that this approach has contributed to weakening the productive sectors, especially industry and agriculture, and has transformed the economy into a rentier model that lacks sustainability. The absence of a clear economic identity and the fluctuation of financial policies have contributed to the mismanagement of public capital, which calls for a review of the philosophy of preparing future budgets and a move towards diversifying sources of income and strengthening non-oil revenues to ensure long-term financial stability.
For his part, economist Abdul Rahman Al-Sheikhli explained that the phrase “oil is the property of the people” in the Iraqi constitution does not mean total dependence on oil revenues to finance the general budget, but rather indicates the people’s ownership of this wealth and the need to manage it in a way that achieves economic sustainability and preserves the rights of future generations.
Sheikhly told Iraq Observer that “the monarchical governments in Iraq did not include oil revenues in the general budget, but rather allocated them for emergencies,” emphasizing that “this approach was more disciplined compared to the financial policies adopted at present.” He added that “Articles 111 and 11 of the Iraqi Constitution clearly stipulate that oil belongs to the people, which means that the general budget must be directed towards relying on non-oil revenues, and oil should not be the primary source for covering operational expenses.”
Al-Sheikhli pointed out that “oil has turned into a liability to the Iraqi economy at the present stage, as a result of the almost complete dependence on it, which has caused a large number of production plants to stop, and the decline of the agricultural sector, on which Iraq was mainly dependent in securing its needs.”
He emphasized that “this dependence has created a fragile economy and stifled production, contributing to the weakening of genuine development opportunities,” calling for “the revitalization of the industrial and agricultural sectors as sustainable sources of national income.” Al-Shaykhli stressed “the necessity for next year’s budget to include a reduction in dependence on oil, limiting it to no more than 49 percent of total revenues, thus ensuring the diversification of income sources and mitigating the risks associated with oil price volatility.”
Article (111) of the Constitution of the Republic of Iraq of the year (2005) in force states that “Oil and gas are the property of the Iraqi people in all regions and governorates.
According to experts, this text is consistent with public international law, which considers natural resources to be the property of the people, not the property of parties or the authorities, and that the state is only a tool for management, distribution, and development.
This is what was emphasized by the resolutions of the United Nations, including its resolution No. (1803) of 14/12/1962 entitled “Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources”, which stressed the need to exercise the right of peoples and nations to permanent sovereignty over their wealth and natural resources in accordance with the interest of their national development and the welfare of the people of the state concerned.
Al-Sudani on his chances for a second term: We trust in the awareness of the political forces regarding the seriousness of the upcoming stage.
Al-Sudani said in a televised interview followed by Al-Furat News: “The second term is not a personal ambition, but rather a readiness to bear responsibility and complete a project we started,” noting that “we do not have a monopoly on power, power belongs to the people, and the largest bloc that forms the government is the one that presents the government’s program, and the coordinating framework bears the collective responsibility.”
He added, "The majority of the forces within the Coordination Framework are keen to produce a strong government that can face future challenges, and we are still stuck in the same place without a decision on choosing the Prime Minister. That is why we presented an initiative to break the deadlock, as we are a key bloc within the Coordination Framework."
Al-Sudani continued, "The basis of our initiative is consensus in choosing the prime minister, and setting clear criteria to facilitate the selection and reaching the appointment of the person tasked with forming the government, so that he enjoys the confidence of the people and has a successful executive experience and a program to meet the challenges."
He pointed out that "national acceptance is a basic condition for assigning the candidate to form the government, and the prime minister is for all Iraqis," noting that "he proposed going to the electoral weights of the blocs, and the selection is based on that," calling on the candidates "to take the initiative to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of the framework," stressing that "the coordinating framework is the one that bears the responsibility of choosing the person assigned to form the government."
Al-Sudani added, "There is no longer any justification for the presence of foreign forces, and the constitution stipulates that there should be no weapons outside the security forces, and this is one of the most prominent decisions included in the government program." He explained that "the agreement to restrict weapons to the state is not the result of a statement from a country, an envoy, or a request, but rather it is within our government program and one of the upcoming entitlements. All national parties agree on addressing this issue."
He explained that "within days our armed forces will take full control of Ain al-Asad base, and the second phase relates to Harir base," saying: "We are not subject to any opinions, desires or whims of others, and our problems are solved by Iraqi decision only, which is the best approach, and the American side understands this matter and is keen on stability."
Al-Sudani pointed to the “great role of the Popular Mobilization Forces in combating terrorism, alongside the other security agencies. Today, it is part of the security system, controls large areas, and plays a role in maintaining security and stability.” He emphasized that “the Popular Mobilization Forces is a security apparatus legislated by law and integrated with the other armed forces. It does not operate in isolation from them and is subject to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.”
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