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The Electoral Commission honors Shafaq News for its “pioneering role” in covering the parliamentary elections.

The Independent High Electoral Commission in Kirkuk praised on Wednesday the press coverage provided by Shafaq News Agency during the parliamentary elections held in November 2025, stressing that the agency played a “leading role” in this field.

The director of the commission’s office in Kirkuk, Luay Arkan, told Shafaq News Agency that “the commission was keen to honor the media institutions that had an active and professional presence during the election period, given the media’s essential role in promoting transparency and building voters’ confidence in the democratic process.”

He added that “Shafaq News Agency played a leading and distinguished role in covering the parliamentary elections, through continuous field monitoring and conveying news accurately and objectively, which contributed to conveying a clear picture of the progress of the electoral process in the governorate.”

Arkan noted that “the Commission emphasizes the importance of continuing cooperation with the media during the upcoming elections, in order to enhance electoral awareness and serve the public interest.”

Shafaq.com

The US administration reiterates its rejection of Maliki’s nomination: his government will not keep Iraq free from conflicts.

A senior White House official reiterated the US administration’s position rejecting the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, for the position of Prime Minister of Iraq.

The Middle East newspaper quoted the official in its Wednesday edition as saying, “The United States stands with Iraq in its quest to achieve its full potential as a force for stability, prosperity and security in the Middle East.”

He added that “a government controlled by Iran cannot put Iraq’s interests first, keep Iraq out of regional conflicts, or promote a mutually beneficial partnership between the United States and Iraq.”

An official source within the Shiite coordination framework revealed yesterday, Tuesday, in a statement to Shafaq News Agency, that “the framework obtained a new extension of the American deadline for withdrawing al-Maliki’s nomination.”

He added that the deadline “will end next Friday,” noting that “Maliki has informed the framework that he does not intend to withdraw his nomination at all, and informed them that the (two-thirds) who nominated Maliki should withdraw the nomination and he does not object to that, and this is the closest thing to the scene during the next few days.”

The “coordination framework,” which includes ruling Shiite political forces in Iraq, is witnessing a division over the nomination of Maliki for the next government, amid American warnings of the repercussions of his selection, which prompted forces within the coalition to try to persuade him to withdraw in order to preserve the unity of the framework.

The escalating American pressure on Iraq comes as a translation of President Donald Trump’s explicit threats, which included criticism of the previous course taken by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, when he assumed the premiership during two consecutive terms between 2006 and 2014.

On January 24, 2026, the Coordination Framework announced the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, for the position of Prime Minister, with a majority vote from its constituent groups.

Shafaq.com

Iraq’s oil revenues exceed $6 billion in one month

The Ministry of Oil announced on Wednesday the total oil exports and revenues achieved for the month of January, according to the final statistics issued by the Iraqi Oil Marketing Company “SOMO”.

SOMO said in a statistic seen by Shafaq News Agency that the quantities of crude oil exports amounted to 107 million, 616 thousand and 220 barrels, with revenues amounting to $6 billion, 485 million and 294 thousand dollars.

The statistics indicated that the total quantities of crude oil exported for the month of January from the oil fields in central and southern Iraq amounted to 101 million, 160 thousand and 349 barrels, while exports from the Kurdistan Region via the port of Ceyhan amounted to 6 thousand and 445 barrels.

According to the statistics, no quantity of oil was exported to Jordan or the Qayyarah field during the past month.

Shafaq.com

Nassif: Iraq now possesses huge offshore oil fields after the borders were established.

Iraqi parliament member Alia Nassif confirmed on Wednesday that there are a number of oil fields, in addition to the “Dhurra” gas field, that contain large reserves and are located deep in the sea, and Iraq has not benefited from them previously due to border disputes with the Kuwaiti side.

Nasif told Shafaq News Agency that depositing the maps with the United Nations and establishing the borders made Iraq own these fields, which allows it to contract with international companies to extract oil and gas from the fields located in the sea waters.

Nasif, a member of the Reconstruction and Development bloc, added that contracting with international companies in the offshore oil and gas fields will contribute to boosting the country’s oil production and adding financial returns estimated at millions of dollars.

Yesterday, the head of the bloc, Bahaa al-Araji, considered that Iraq had become a Gulf state “practically” after depositing the country’s maritime maps with the United Nations.

Days ago, Iraq deposited a complete map of its maritime zones with precise coordinates with the United Nations, in a move aimed at strengthening its maritime rights and bolstering its negotiating position on issues related to maritime borders, according to what the Director General of the General Company for Iraqi Ports, Farhan Al-Fartousi, told Shafaq News Agency.

The 2012 Agreement on Navigation in Khor Abdullah between Iraq and Kuwait is a technical and administrative remedy for the effects of the former regime’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the resulting demarcation of borders under Security Council Resolution No. (833) of 1993. Article Six of the Agreement affirmed that it “does not affect the borders between the two parties in Khor Abdullah established under Security Council Resolution No. (833) of 1993.”

The Iraqi Council of Ministers approved the draft ratification law at the end of 2012, and the House of Representatives approved it by a simple majority under Law No. (42) of 2013, and it was published in the Iraqi Gazette in issue (4299) dated 11/25/2013.

The Federal Court also issued its decision No. (21/Federal/2014) dated 12/18/2014, as it distinguished between the law regulating the process of ratifying treaties, which requires a two-thirds majority according to Article (61/Fourth) of the Constitution, and the law ratifying a specific agreement, which is approved by a simple majority based on Article (59/Second).

Iraq’s deposit of maritime maps and official coordinates with the United Nations has sparked reactions in Gulf circles, amid calls to contain the repercussions of the move and address the issue through diplomatic frameworks and official channels.

Diplomatic tensions between Iraq and Kuwait have been escalating for years over the issue of demarcating the maritime border beyond point (162), which is the maritime extension that has not been completed in its demarcation between the two countries since the issuance of Security Council Resolution No. (833) in 1993.

Shafaq.com

Iran: We will do our utmost to reach an agreement with Washington.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that Tehran is ready to take any necessary step to reach an agreement with the United States, considering any American strike on Iran to be a “real gamble.”

This came in an interview with Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi with NPR, in response to US President Donald Trump’s threats against Iran and the possibility of Washington launching an attack on it.

“We are ready to reach an agreement as soon as possible,” Ravanchi said, referring to the third round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States scheduled for next Thursday in Geneva, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency.

The Iranian official confirmed: “We will continue our talks in Geneva, within the same framework that we followed in Muscat and Geneva last week, and there will be no change/we will continue to work according to what we agreed upon.”

He added, “We are ready to reach an agreement as soon as possible. We will do our best to achieve this, and if the political will is available on all sides, I believe an agreement can be reached very soon.”

Caroline Leavitt, spokeswoman for US President Donald Trump, told reporters at the White House on Tuesday, in response to a question about Iran, that Trump’s first choice is always diplomacy, but he is prepared to use lethal force if necessary.

This comes at a time when Washington continues to amass its forces near Iran in preparation for an imminent strike.

The United States has rapidly redrawn its military deployment map around Iran, with more than 150 military aircraft being moved within days to bases in Europe and the Middle East, since the second round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran ended without a breakthrough on February 17, according to flight tracking data and satellite images reviewed by The Washington Post.

Shafaq.com

Trump’s pressure goes public… Maliki’s fate to be decided Friday night

On Tuesday, an official source within the Coordination Framework revealed details of the meeting of the Coordination Framework leaders, which was held last night at the home of the head of the Supreme Islamic Council, Humam Hamoudi, explaining that it witnessed the absence of both the leader of the Wisdom Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, and the Secretary-General of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Qais al-Khazali.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that “the framework obtained a new extension of the American deadline for withdrawing al-Maliki’s nomination, and the deadline will end next Friday. This was discussed during the meeting, and al-Maliki informed them that he does not intend to withdraw his nomination at all. He told them that the two-thirds who nominated al-Maliki should withdraw his nomination, and he does not object to that. This is the closest thing to the scene in the next few days.”

He added that “the Sunni objection is no longer just from Halbousi, but there is now a Sunni political consensus from all blocs, parties and frameworks. This was officially communicated and discussed during a meeting last night.”

According to the responsible source within the coordination framework, before Friday, that is, before the end of the new and final American deadline, there will be an important and decisive meeting of the coordination framework.

The source concluded by noting that the US Special Envoy to Iraq and Syria, Tom Barrack, clearly conveyed during his meetings in both Baghdad and Erbil the firm and clear US position of rejecting al-Maliki’s nomination for Prime Minister, and outlined what decisions Washington could make if the framework insisted on proceeding with al-Maliki’s nomination.

The issue of deciding on the presidency and the Iranian-American escalation topped the agenda of the coordination framework talks on Monday evening, where the need to finalize the formation of the new government was emphasized, without mentioning the candidate for its leadership, the leader of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki.

Shafaq.com

The coordination framework faces a decisive test… Who will lead the next phase?

The Iraqi political scene is experiencing a political deadlock regarding the appointment of a prime minister, due to a lack of internal consensus among political forces, coupled with what some parties describe as external interference and pressure, particularly from the United States.

This debate comes at a time of escalating concerns about the repercussions of the continued political impasse on the country’s economic and security stability, amidst clear differences in the positions of political forces regarding the mechanisms for selecting the appropriate candidate to lead the next government.

Abdullah Hamed al-Khaigani, a member of parliament from the Badr Bloc, believes that resolving the prime ministership issue hinges primarily on internal understandings among the forces within the Coordination Framework, and not on external pressures or international stances. He emphasized that the final decision must reflect the Iraqi political will, free from any external influences.

Al-Khaigani explained that the Coordination Framework represents the largest political component in the parliamentary landscape, stressing that there is no complete internal political deadlock within its ranks. However, he also pointed to political conditions set by some parties, including the exclusion of current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani from the position should another candidate, such as Nouri al-Maliki, be agreed upon.

He also pointed to the circulation of other names within the political scene, such as Adel Abdul Mahdi, stressing that the final decision is still contingent on formulating comprehensive agreements within the Shiite political establishment first, before moving on to understandings with other political forces.

In a related context, Al-Khaigani emphasized that the controversy sparked by US President Donald Trump’s tweet has plunged the political scene into a spiral of political tension. He asserted that the selection of the prime minister must be a purely Iraqi decision, free from any external influences or political dictates, in accordance with what he described as the requirements of national sovereignty and the protection of Iraqi political decision-making from any international interference.

For his part, Aqeel Al-Rudaini, a member of the Victory Coalition, explained that the decision-making mechanisms within the coordination framework are based on the principle of complete consensus among its members, even if there are political objections to some of the proposed candidates for prime minister.

Al-Rudaini indicated that Nouri al-Maliki’s nomination came within this political context, but it did not receive widespread acceptance from all political forces. The majority of Sunni and Kurdish forces, along with some Shiite forces, expressed reservations about this nomination, reflecting the extent of the division within the Iraqi political landscape and the complexity of the consensus-building process among the various political components.

He emphasized that the Coordination Framework is not a formal constitutional institution, but it represents an influential political bloc within Parliament. He noted that some parties within the Framework are seeking a legal solution to the crisis that preserves political stability and prevents the country from entering into new governmental crises that could affect the state’s executive performance.

Al-Rudaini also called for a decisive session within the Coordination Framework to resolve the ongoing debate about the appropriate candidate, warning that the continued political deadlock could expose Iraq to serious repercussions, including the imposition of economic sanctions or even a potential military escalation in the region should political and diplomatic tensions with international powers intensify.

In the economic context, MP Saud Al-Saadi, from the Rights Bloc, warned that any potential US sanctions could directly affect the living conditions of citizens, particularly concerning government salaries and the ability to finance the state’s general budget.
Al-Saadi stressed that US control over Iraqi funds is internationally illegitimate, criticizing what he described as the approach of economic domination over Iraqi financial decision-making. He pointed out that the Iraqi economy remains almost entirely dependent on oil revenues, which makes the country vulnerable to external pressures during political and economic crises.

Al-Saadi called for diversifying the Iraqi economy and strengthening other productive sectors to bolster national decision-making independence and reduce reliance on oil resources. He argued that the current phase presents a political opportunity to enhance economic sovereignty and achieve greater financial stability, free from escalating international influences.

Observers note that the Iraqi political landscape suffers from a clear entanglement of internal and external factors, as political forces strive to strike a delicate balance between national interests and international pressures amidst regional and international competition for influence over Iraqi political decisions.

Analysts assert that the ongoing disputes within Iraq’s political factions could prolong the prime minister selection crisis, especially given the major political forces’ failure to finalize their stance on the most likely candidate. Political experts also warn that continued instability could negatively impact the investment climate and economic development, as well as weaken the government’s ability to implement its reform and service programs.

Political forecasts point to several possible scenarios. The first, and most stable, is an internal consensus, where the forces within the Coordination Framework agree with other political forces on a consensus candidate who enjoys broad national acceptance. The second scenario is a continuation of the political deadlock, which could lead to further delays in forming a government or altering the political balance within parliament. The third scenario involves escalating external pressures, which could affect Iraq’s diplomatic and economic relations and further complicate the political landscape in the coming period.

The issue of the Iraqi premiership remains one of the most complex at present, given the interplay of internal political calculations with regional and international pressures. With ongoing disagreements among political forces, attention is focused on the ability of the coordinating framework to reach an internal settlement that guarantees political stability and safeguards the interests of the Iraqi state in the face of escalating political, economic, and security challenges.

Almaalomah.me

Al-Araji: The framework will not change its candidate due to American pressure… and the decision will be made next week.

The head of the Reconstruction and Development bloc, Bahaa al-Araji, confirmed on Tuesday that the coordination framework “will not change its candidate for the next government due to an American decision,” stressing that the issue of the premiership is “a purely Iraqi matter.”

Al-Araji told Shafaq News Agency that the framework “is looking at the candidate’s acceptability within the framework and other political blocs,” indicating that the coordinating framework will hold a meeting next week “and will come up with a candidate for the position of Prime Minister, whether it is Nouri al-Maliki or another candidate,” denying the existence of “any special American message to the coordinating framework.”

He added that the selection of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani as a replacement for al-Maliki for the premiership “is due to the coordination framework,” noting that custom and tradition dictate that the Reconstruction and Development bloc is the largest bloc in parliament and the coordination framework.

The issues of deciding on the presidency, the Iranian-American escalation, and accelerating the formation of the new government topped the agenda of the coordination framework meeting held last Monday night, without mentioning the name of its candidate for prime minister, the leader of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, even though the meeting was dedicated to deciding on this issue.

Prior to that, in an interview with Agence France-Presse, Maliki confirmed his commitment to running for the premiership and not withdrawing, noting that his nomination came as an agreement within the coordination framework.

According to informed sources close to the political decision-making center, Maliki realizes that his withdrawal will be interpreted as yielding to American objections, while leaders within the framework fear that withdrawing his candidacy will be understood as a response to the same pressure, making the decision costly internally for both sides.

Those sources told Shafaq News Agency that this complication has disrupted the holding of official meetings of the framework during the past days, with consultations moving to side channels and mediation attempts to persuade him to back down without burdening any party with the cost of public concessions, indicating that leaders in the framework have begun discussing gathering a majority to vote to withdraw his nomination in a meeting expected in the coming hours.

The coordinating framework, which includes ruling Shiite political forces in Iraq, is witnessing a division over the nomination of Maliki for the next government, amid American warnings of the repercussions of his selection, which prompted forces within the coalition to try to persuade him to withdraw in order to preserve the unity of the framework.

The escalating American pressure on Iraq comes as a translation of the threats of US President Donald Trump, which included criticism of the path taken by Maliki during his two consecutive terms as head of government between 2006 and 2014.

Shafaq.com

“Iran is a sinking ship”: A report details the distancing of its allies in Iraq.

Analysts say that Tehran could become a “sinking ship” and be forced to loosen its grip on Iraqi politics, which is pushing pro-Iranian Iraqi leaders to distance themselves from it, especially given the weakness it suffers and the possibility that US President Donald Trump might resort to the option of war against it.

The Abu Dhabi-based English-language newspaper , The National , quoted Renad Mansour, a researcher at the British Chatham House think tank, as saying that some Iranian-backed officials in Iraq view Iran as a “sinking ship.” He explained that what they are witnessing is that Iraqi actors close to Iran realize that a sinking ship is not good for their power in Iraq, as stability for these groups means their economic prosperity, so they do not want to sacrifice that.

The newspaper noted in its report that the threat of American strikes comes as Iraq is trying to form a new government, pointing out that Iran usually has great influence over whoever assumes the premiership in Baghdad, but there are indications that things have changed.

The report quoted Michael Knights, a researcher at the American company Horizon Engineering, as saying that “they have to choose an elected prime minister in the midst of this and they have no idea whether the Islamic Republic will still exist by the time that person is appointed,” adding that what is happening will force “Iran’s friends to choose someone allied with the West and the Arab world.”

While the report noted Iran’s suffering since the Gaza war and the attacks against its facilities last summer by the United States and Israel, it quoted Chatham House researcher Galip Dalay as saying that the Iranian regime’s position in the region has become weak and its ambitions have declined throughout the region, explaining that “for Middle Eastern leaders, the threats have changed, and the biggest risks are now an expansionist and aggressive Israel, and the chaos of an Iranian state that is likely to collapse.”

The report quoted Dalay as saying that if the United States decides to launch strikes against Iran, Tehran’s influence may decline further, along with that of its regional proxies. He explained that the result could be that “Iranian influence, which is still strong in Iraq, may become weaker, Hezbollah in Lebanon will become weaker, and the Houthis in Yemen will also lack a patron.”

He adds that if Iran is attacked, its proxy groups could launch attacks on US military bases – although there were no such counterstrikes during last year’s war.

As for Mansour, if “the scope of the air strikes is similar to the June War, then Iraqi resistance groups supported by Iran, such as (Kataib Hezbollah), could attack US allies or bases in Iraq and the region.”

The report quoted Bente Schiller, a researcher at the Heinrich Böll Foundation, as saying that the countries hosting these military bases could also become a target, explaining that “if the regime in Tehran believes it has nothing to lose, it is likely to focus its retaliation on the American bases in the host countries,” adding that “as a result, Iran may consider these countries legitimate targets as well.” This is why regional countries are pushing for a diplomatic solution.

According to Schiller, the region fears that unrest and instability in Iran could harm its own interests, noting that Tehran has previously threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz if it is attacked, a move that would choke off a fifth of the world’s oil flows.

The report quoted Schiller as saying, “It is a weak point in terms of the economy, because war would increase the risks for this crucial point in international trade.”

Shafaq.com