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Iraq faces its most serious financial test in decades; the collapse of oil exports threatens employee salaries.

The Iraqi economy is facing an unprecedented crisis after a sharp decline in oil exports as a result of regional tensions and the closure of vital shipping lanes, causing revenues to drop by up to 90%, in a direct blow to the main artery of the economy on which the country depends almost entirely.

According to economic data, Iraq’s exports have plummeted from about 4 million barrels per day to levels not exceeding 1.3 million barrels, which has put the general budget under severe pressure and raised widespread concerns about the government’s ability to secure employee salaries and meet its financial obligations in the coming months.

In this context, MP Mohammed Al-Bayati confirmed in a statement to Al-Maalouma that Iraq has effectively lost between 85 and 90% of its financial revenues due to the repercussions of the war in the region, noting that current exports through the Ceyhan port cover only 7 to 10% of the state’s financial needs.

He added that the current crisis represents a serious warning that requires urgent action towards diversifying sources of income and not relying solely on oil, as well as the need to find alternative export outlets that ensure the stability of revenues and mitigate the severity of external shocks.

For their part, economic experts warned that the continued decline in exports in this manner could lead to serious repercussions that go beyond the economic aspect to affect political and social stability, stressing that the solution lies in moving from a rentier economy to a diversified economy capable of withstanding crises.

They pointed out that the government’s options remain limited, most notably resorting to the central bank’s reserves or taking drastic financial measures, at a time when the situation demands swift action to secure liquidity and prevent the collapse of the state’s financial obligations.

Almaalomah.me

Details of the Baghdad airport explosions: US munitions and equipment burned in preparation for a rapid withdrawal.

A security source reported on Tuesday that the explosions heard in the vicinity of Baghdad International Airport were the result of controlled detonations supervised by Iraqi forces.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that the site of the explosions is located near the diplomatic support headquarters inside the airport, explaining that the operation involved the destruction of ammunition containers containing heavy, medium and light weapons.

He added that initial information indicates that the number of US forces present at the site has become limited, after part of them withdrew during the past few days, without any official confirmation yet regarding a complete withdrawal of the remaining forces after the completion of the base evacuation operations.

According to the source, what is being circulated about the detonation of damaged equipment is “inaccurate,” noting that the operation also includes the destruction of a number of vehicles and equipment belonging to the forces, which will be taken out of service.

According to the source, in the event of a complete withdrawal of US forces, this will only involve the transfer of personal belongings, with the disposal of the rest of the equipment inside the base.

The sounds of explosions continue to be heard from the vicinity of Baghdad International Airport, causing panic among nearby residents, amid reports that they will continue into the evening.

The Security Media Cell had confirmed earlier today that the sounds of explosions heard in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, were the result of controlled detonations.

In a statement issued by the Security Media Cell of the Joint Operations Command and received by Shafaq News Agency, Lieutenant General Saad Maan said, “The sounds heard near Baghdad International Airport were the result of controlled explosions carried out by the relevant authorities, and were not the result of any hostile act.”

Shafaq.com

US-Iranian moves to end the war… and a meeting expected in Pakistan

Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Tuesday that the United States has set the beginning of April as a possible date to end the war with Iran, at a time when talks between the two sides are expected to be held in Pakistan in the coming days.

The newspaper quoted an unnamed Israeli source as saying that “the Americans have set April 9 as the date for ending the war,” noting that “the coming period may witness the continuation of military operations in parallel with an intensification of the negotiation track.”

The source added that “talks between Iran and the Americans will be held later this week in Pakistan,” noting that “Washington has not informed Israel of the details of the contacts it is conducting with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.”

The newspaper pointed to Israeli assessments indicating that “the United States is conducting indirect negotiations with Qalibaf, following statements by US President Donald Trump regarding contacts with Iran to end the war.”

For its part, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted an informed source as saying that “Trump’s statements were surprising,” stressing that “it is too early to know whether these talks will lead to an end to the war.”

For its part, Channel 15 reported that there were “advanced contacts to hold a meeting between American and Iranian officials in the capital, Islamabad, this week, amid Iranian denials of this.”

On Monday, Trump announced via the Truth Social platform that his country had held “very good and productive” talks with Iran over the past two days, with the aim of reaching “complete and final solutions” to the conflict in the Middle East.

Shafaq.com

Israeli newspaper: Mojtaba Khamenei agreed to negotiate and end the war on Iranian terms

On Tuesday, the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot revealed the contents of a “secret” message exchanged between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US envoy Steve Wittkopf.

The newspaper said the message included that Tehran had obtained the “approval and blessing” of Mojtaba Khamenei to end the war quickly, if Iranian conditions were met.

The newspaper also reported that Araqchi secretly informed Witkov of Mojtaba Khamenei’s agreement to negotiate, according to sources cited by the newspaper, noting that these contacts took place away from Israel.

The sources added that Mojtaba Khamenei agreed to negotiate with America and reach an agreement, and also agreed to end the war quickly according to Iran’s conditions.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel remained outside these contacts, at a time when large gaps still exist between the parties.

Conflicting indications continue regarding unannounced contacts between Washington and Tehran, as international reports spoke of back-channel talks led by US envoy Steve Wittkopf with Iranian officials through regional intermediaries, amid US talk of “key points of agreement” that could pave the way for ending the war, while Tehran denied conducting any direct negotiations.

Meanwhile, the tit-for-tat military operations continue, with Iran launching new waves of missiles, while Washington postponed planned strikes to allow room for the diplomatic track, while major disagreements remain over the terms for ending the war and the role of the new Iranian leadership in making the final decision.

Shafaq.com

Iran appoints Mohammad Baqer Zolghadr as Secretary of the National Security Council, succeeding Larijani.

The Iranian presidency announced on Tuesday the appointment of Mohammad Baqer Zolghadr as secretary of the National Security Council.

The Iranian presidency stated that the decision stipulates assigning Zulqadr the duties of the Secretary-General of the Council, succeeding Ali Larijani, who was assassinated in an Israeli bombing.

It should be noted that Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on March 17 the assassination of the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Larijani, and the commander of the Basij militia in Iran, Gholam Reza Soleimani, in raids on the Iranian capital, Tehran.

Mohammad Baqer Zolghadr was a former commander in the Revolutionary Guard, deputy chief of staff of the armed forces for Basij affairs, deputy for strategic affairs in the judiciary from 2012 to 2020, deputy for social protection and crime prevention in the judiciary from 2010 to 2012, advisor to the head of the judiciary, and secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council.

In the Revolutionary Guard, he served as an assistant and deputy commander-in-chief. In Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government, he was appointed as an assistant to the Interior Minister for security affairs during Mostafa Pourmohammadi’s tenure, with the permission of Ali Khamenei. However, Ahmadinejad dismissed him in 2007. Mohammad Baqer Zolghadr is considered one of the fiercest opponents of the reformists in Iran.

Shafaq.com

Yawar: False intelligence leads to targeting the Peshmerga

Military expert Jabbar Yawar confirmed on Tuesday that the targeting of Peshmerga forces in Soran district comes within the context of previous Iranian threats that preceded the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel, while stressing at the same time that it is based on false intelligence information.

Yawar told Shafaq News Agency that “Iran had announced before the outbreak of the war that it would target all areas where there is an American presence or interests, and it has already begun to implement this during the war, up to the present days.”

Yawar explained that “the presence of US forces in the Kurdistan Region dates back to August 2014, within the framework of an international agreement with the Iraqi government to fight ISIS,” indicating that “this presence was not by agreement with the regional government, but rather within the arrangements of the international coalition with Baghdad, which included the deployment of US forces and forces of other nationalities in several Iraqi regions.”

Yawar added that “the presence was not limited to field forces, but also included bases for American aircraft, and all of this was done in accordance with an agreement with the Iraqi government exclusively.”

According to him, after the strategic agreement between Iraq and the United States ended in 2025, a new agreement was signed stipulating that these forces would remain in the Kurdistan Region until the end of 2026, stressing that “this presence is not at the request of the region nor at its direction, but rather as a result of commitments and agreements with Baghdad.”

Regarding the attack that targeted Peshmerga forces this morning in the Soran administration, Yawar explained that “this targeting is part of the steps that Iran announced previously, which include targeting sites where it is believed that there are American interests, whether in Iraq, the Gulf states, Jordan and other areas.”

He added that “some of these attacks are carried out by groups known as (the resistance), which operate under Iranian direction, and have already carried out attacks in the Kurdistan Region within this context.”

Yawar explained that “the targeting of Peshmerga sites is often done under the pretext of the presence of American or coalition forces inside those headquarters,” noting that “this information reaches the implementing parties through spy elements, even though those sites only contain Peshmerga forces, and in some cases former advisors.”

He pointed out that “the attack that occurred today is not the first, as a site that included French advisors was targeted two weeks ago, who have no connection to the ongoing war between Iran, the United States and Israel,” stressing that “the targeted headquarters do not contain American forces or parties working against Iran at the present stage.”

In a related context, Yawar stressed that “the ongoing war in the region has had significant effects on the entire Middle East, especially after the events of February 28,” explaining that “its repercussions have extended to include wide areas, and its effects may reach Cyprus and Turkey.”

He pointed out that “the Kurdistan Region was also affected by these developments, although this was not the result of internal will, but rather came about by force as a result of the size and impact of the conflict in the region,” stressing that “the regional repercussions of the war have become a reality that imposes itself on various countries and regions.”

Earlier today, the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs in the Kurdistan Region announced that 36 of its members were killed as a result of a ballistic missile attack that targeted military headquarters north of Erbil Governorate.

Shafaq.com

Al-Karawi: Question marks surround the government’s failure to export oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

The head of the organizing body for the popular movement for the Belt and Road, Hussein Al-Karawi, questioned the reasons why the government has not exported Iraqi oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

Al-Karawi told Al-Maalouma, “There are question marks surrounding the Iraqi government’s refusal to export oil through the Strait of Hormuz, despite the Islamic Republic of Iran allowing the passage of ships and tankers carrying Iraqi oil, except for tankers going to the White House.”

He added that “the ongoing battle has provided an irreplaceable opportunity for Iraq to get rid of American hegemony, and therefore it is surprising that the government has not gone towards what the war has produced, and sold oil to all countries and allowed it to pass through on the condition that it does not go to the American devil and that its money is received by the Iraqi government in Chinese yuan or any currency other than the dollar.”

He pointed out that “the government’s failure to export oil through the Strait has only one implication: that it does not want to leave the anti-Islamic American camp, despite the call of Grand Ayatollah Sistani in his statement in which he condemned the aggression and called for support for the Iranian government and state.”

He pointed out that “this government and those behind it do not want to break free from Trump’s control, as they see it as the reason for their existence, their continued rule, and the achievement of their interests, even if it comes at the expense of the people’s interests and the country’s sovereignty.”

Almaalomah.me

Abdul Hadi: There are no Kurdish indications of a decision regarding the presidency.

On Friday, Coordination Framework member Uday Abdul Hadi confirmed that there were no positive signals from the Kurdish forces regarding the resolution of the presidential post, noting that the constitutional timeframe for determining the consensus candidate had been exceeded weeks ago.

Abdul-Hadi told Al-Maalomah that “the coordination framework sent many messages to the Kurdish forces, especially the presidential ones, in order to expedite the nomination of a consensus figure for the position of President of the Republic, but until this moment there are no indications that push towards making a decision on this matter.”

He added that “next week may witness an important meeting of the coalition forces to develop a roadmap for resolving this issue, given that a government cannot be formed and the candidate of the largest bloc cannot be appointed without first resolving the issue of the presidency and naming the candidate.”

Almaalomah.me

NATO withdraws its mission from Iraq due to the security situation.

Agence France-Presse reported on Friday that NATO had temporarily withdrawn its mission from Iraq as the war in the Middle East continued, citing security officials in the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.

A command official said that “the NATO mission has left Union III base except for a few who remain,” while another official confirmed that “the mission is temporarily withdrawing because they are concerned about the situation.”

He noted that the mission “informed the Iraqi government before the withdrawal and there is no disagreement” between the two sides.

The NATO mission in Iraq plays an advisory role to Iraqi forces and is non-combat. It is based at an Iraqi military base in the heart of Baghdad, near the US embassy, ​​which has been the target of several missile and drone attacks since the start of the war.

Since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, 2026, areas in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have been subjected to a series of missile and drone attacks, attributed to armed factions loyal to Iran in Iraq, as part of the regional escalation that followed the strikes on Iranian territory.

Shafaq.com