Harris negotiates using economics... and the factions respond: Our weapon is our ideology.
Baghdad/Al-Masalla: The September 30 deadline appears to be a fiery wall separating two eras, as the coordination framework links the fate of the parallel weapons to the date of the American withdrawal, stressing that the departure of foreign forces eliminates all political justifications for the continuation of armed factions outside the state’s umbrella.
Leaders within the framework indicate that the agreement with the Prime Minister has been settled on the principle of “the rule of law above all considerations,” while acknowledging that some factions have already handed over their weapons, while others are waiting for a timetable to decide their position.
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However, the scene does not appear to be in such harmony. On July 10, the “Islamic Resistance” and Hezbollah Brigades surprised everyone with fiery statements declaring that their weapons are “a doctrine and a covenant, not a bargaining chip,” and renewing their allegiance to the new Supreme Leader in Tehran.
Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi went further when he warned the government against “imperialist projects,” considering the crowds at the funeral of the late religious authority as a popular referendum on the legitimacy of his approach.
Amid this glaring contradiction, the position of the Badr Organization stands out with a more flexible approach, as Al-Masari acknowledges that the weapons of the politically engaged parties are inevitably going to disappear, while the non-engaged parties retain their option, in reference to the equation of sharing the upcoming roles.
As for Washington, it is raising the bar for its demands without any ambiguity; Chargé d'Affaires Harris is visiting Basra to negotiate an economic partnership with an explicit condition: the complete disarmament of the groups it classifies as “terrorist,” considering that their presence in the government contradicts the nature of the bilateral relationship.
Araghchi: The Iraqi Prime Minister's visit to Iran is important and will have positive results for both countries.
Al-Zaidi and Pezeshkian discuss strengthening economic and security cooperation between Iraq and Iran
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday (July 23, 2026) to discuss the operational mechanisms of the joint economic committee and ways to strengthen bilateral partnership. Al-Zaidi, who headed the Iraqi delegation at the talks in Tehran, emphasized that the security of both countries is intertwined and that Iraq will not allow any threat to Iran to emanate from its territory. He also called for new joint investments. Pezeshkian stressed that security stability positively impacts development and investment opportunities between the two countries.
The Prime Minister’s Media Office stated in a statement that “today, Thursday, he headed the Iraqi delegation in the joint talks with the Iranian side, represented by Iranian President Mr. Masoud Pezeshkian, where the two sides discussed a number of issues of common interest, including setting a mechanism for the work of the joint Iraqi-Iranian economic committee.”
During the talks, Al-Zaidi stressed that his visit to the Islamic Republic reflects the depth and renewal of the relationship, and represents a bridge of friendship between the two peoples, pointing to the partnership that unites the two countries in religion, civilization, geography and culture.
Al-Zaydi explained that “the visit comes in order to discuss issues concerning the two countries and the region, stressing that our security is shared and we will not allow any threat to Iran to originate from Iraqi territory. He recalled Iran’s honorable stance in supporting Iraq during the war against the ISIS terrorist organization, calling for joint investments in various fields.”
The statement added that “for his part, the Iranian President expressed his gratitude for the noble stance of the Iraqi people in the funeral procession of Mr. Khamenei, and also pointed to the depth of the commonalities between the two peoples,” stressing that “security stability is very important and reflects positively on the bilateral development reality, and also pointed to the existence of important joint investment opportunities between the two countries.”
Saturday is the date for approving the accounts.
Parliament dedicates Monday session to discussing the electricity crisis
The Media Department of the House of Representatives announced today, Thursday (July 23, 2026), the agenda for the next two sessions scheduled to be held next week. The Council has allocated Monday’s session entirely to discuss the deterioration of the electricity system in the presence of the Minister and his senior staff, while Saturday’s session will witness the first reading of the drafts for the ratification of the final accounts for the years from 2012 to 2015, and amendments to the laws on human trafficking, agricultural lending, and the labor law.
Bahrain and Kuwait launch airstrikes on Iran with Emirati intelligence support – US report
The Wall Street Journal revealed that Bahraini and Kuwaiti warplanes carried out airstrikes on sites inside Iran at the beginning of this month, in a rare Gulf move that represents the first direct response of its kind to Tehran, according to informed sources quoted by the newspaper.
The newspaper, whose report was followed up by Network 964 , said that the raids came amid growing concerns among Gulf states about the widening scope of the war and its repercussions, and the security threats it may cause that would push them to become more deeply involved in the confrontation.
The sources added that the strikes targeted Iranian military sites, including drone and missile depots, noting that the UAE provided intelligence on the targets, as well as providing defensive air cover during the operations.
According to the Wall Street Journal, these moves reflect increasing Arab coordination in the face of war-related threats, after the Gulf states had previously sought to avoid direct involvement in military confrontations with Iran.
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Exclusive: Iraqi PM pitches ‘trilateral business opportunities’ to Iran, US
Iraq’s prime minister did not deliver a ceasefire proposal by the Donald Trump administration during his recent visit to Iran, senior sources in Baghdad and Tehran have confirmed to Amwaj.media. Throwing cold water on a New York Times report which cited unnamed Iraqi and Iranian sources as saying that Iran rejected a “US proposal” for a truce, informed sources say Ali Al-Zaidi’s focus was on business. While the 41-year-old—who only took office in May—lacks experience in international politics, he has an established background as a successful entrepreneur.
“The prime minister briefed the Iranian side on elements of his trip to the United States,” a senior Iranian political source explained to Amwaj.media, referring to Zaidi’s July 13-19 visit to America. “But he really only spoke about trilateral business.” The source elaborated, “The trilateral cooperation brought up by Zaidi was about business opportunities between Iran, Iraq and the United States.”
Commenting on claims that Zaidi delivered a US ceasefire proposal, a veteran Iraqi political source dismissed it as “total BS,” confirming that the prime minister only brought up opportunities for trilateral economic collaboration.
In a July 24 statement posted on Twitter/X, Zaidi’s media office referred to the “allegations” in the New York Times report as “entirely unfounded and bear[ing] no relation to reality.” Thomas Barrack, the US special presidential envoy to Iraq, promptly reposted the statement along with “Iraq getting the record straight.”
Victoria Taylor, a former senior US State Department official who served in Iraq, observed that it “would be out of the ordinary to have Iraqis present something formal since [the] Trump team has several other well-established channels on this file and Iraq has not been part of these discussions.” In Taylor’s view, the Iraqi premier likely relayed that “Trump and [his] team] urged Zaidi to tell [the] Iranians they should accept a ceasefire deal, and this gets misinterpreted as a formal and new proposal that Iraqis are presenting to Iranians.”
Iraq has in recent years sought to transform itself from a battleground for external powers to a bridge. Under former prime minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi (2020-22), Baghdad hosted a regional conference which gathered an array of officials. In parallel, negotiators from Iran and Saudi Arabia were also brought together, ultimately resulting in the 2023 deal announced in Beijing for Riyadh and Tehran to re-establish diplomatic relations after seven years of estrangement.
Iran: We are seeking to recover approximately $11 billion in outstanding payments from Iraq.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, Abdolnaser Hemmati, revealed today, Thursday (July 23, 2026), diplomatic and financial moves to recover Iranian dues from Iraq estimated at about 10 to 11 billion dollars, stressing that this file is a priority in light of the current economic conditions.
Hemmati explained in a statement to Iranian television that he "held lengthy talks with the head of the Central Bank of Iraq in Tehran, who is accompanying Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on his visit to Tehran, and it was agreed to hold detailed meetings after the end of the official visit to discuss mechanisms for utilizing these funds in a way that serves the interests of both countries."
He pointed out that “about $7 billion belonging to the Iranian Central Bank is deposited in Iraq, in addition to more than $3 billion owed to the Iranian Ministry of Oil, which raises the total debt owed by the Iraqi government and banks to approximately $11 billion.”
He added that "these funds represent an important resource for the Iranian economy, and that both sides are working to find practical solutions that will allow them to be used in carrying out financial transfers or financing the purchase of goods that Iran needs."
He explained that “part of these funds were used during the past months to purchase some basic commodities, but the restrictions imposed on the mechanism for disposing of them made the benefit from them limited,” expressing his hope to “reach an understanding with the Central Bank of Iraq to overcome these obstacles and activate the use of the withheld funds.”
A strategic partnership between Zain Mart and Switch to provide installment purchasing services for customers of Al-Rasheed Bank and the National Bank of Iraq.
Zain Mart, the e-commerce platform of Zain Iraq, announced on Wednesday a strategic partnership with Switch, a financial solutions company. This move aims to expand electronic payment options and enhance the digital shopping experience by providing flexible installment payment solutions for eligible banking customers.
In a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the company said, "This partnership comes within the framework of Zain Mart's strategy to develop the e-commerce ecosystem by expanding its network of partners in the field of digital financial services. This will provide customers with diverse payment options that meet their needs and offer them a more convenient and flexible shopping experience."
The statement continued, "Under the partnership, eligible customers whose salaries are deposited with Al-Rasheed Bank and the National Bank of Iraq will be able to purchase items in installments when shopping through the Zain Mart platform. They can pay for their purchases in installments for up to 12 months, according to the eligibility criteria, terms, and conditions adopted by Switch."
She added, "Eligible products for the service include smartphones, electronics, and home appliances, along with many other products, giving customers greater flexibility in managing their purchases without needing to pay the full price upfront."
According to the statement, Zain Iraq's Chief Commercial Officer, Mohammed Samir, said, "At Zain Mart, we strive to provide a comprehensive digital shopping experience based on diverse options and easy access to services. Our partnership with Switch represents a new step towards expanding payment and e-commerce options, enabling customers to have more flexible purchasing choices that meet the aspirations of different segments of society."
For his part, Switch's Chief Commercial Officer, Yousef Abu Mutawa, said, "This partnership reflects our commitment to providing innovative digital financial solutions that facilitate customers' access to their needs through flexible and secure installment options, supporting the growth of e-commerce and enhancing financial inclusion in Iraq."
This partnership reflects both parties' vision of leveraging digital financial solutions to support the growth of e-commerce in Iraq by providing more diverse and flexible payment options, thus enhancing the customer experience and meeting their growing aspirations for integrated digital services.
Parliament opens the electricity file and continues discussing a package of financial and legal legislation.
The House of Representatives is preparing to hold two consecutive sessions next week, which will be dominated by a discussion of the electricity system crisis in the presence of the Minister of Electricity, in addition to completing the consideration of a number of draft laws and proposals, most notably the final accounts for several fiscal years and amendments to the laws on labor, human trafficking and agricultural lending.
According to the agenda, the Council will hold its sixth session of the second legislative term on Saturday, July 25, which includes considering appeals related to the membership of a number of deputies, as well as the first reading of draft laws approving the final accounts of the state for the years 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, in a step aimed at addressing accumulated financial files that have not been resolved during the past years.
The council will also discuss, in the same session, a number of draft laws, including the first amendment to the Anti-Human Trafficking Law, the second amendment to the Agricultural Loan Fund Law, the first amendment to the Notaries Public Law, in addition to the first amendment to the Labor Law, before moving on to the general discussions section.
On Monday, July 27, the House of Representatives will dedicate its seventh session entirely to discussing the deteriorating state of the electricity system, in the presence of the Minister of Electricity and senior staff of the ministry, in light of the escalating electricity supply crisis during the summer season, and the accompanying public complaints and parliamentary demands to review the ministry’s plans and address the reasons for the decline in supply hours.
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