Washington: Democrats are considering suing Trump if he continues the war on Iran.

Sources in the US Congress reported on Wednesday that a number of Democrats are considering filing a lawsuit against President Donald Trump if he decides to continue the war after May 1 without obtaining formal approval from the legislative authority.

Time magazine stated that this legal deadline, which began with the US administration informing Congress of the start of military operations against Iran on February 28, puts Trump before two constitutional options: either obtaining clear authorization to continue the war, or providing written justifications that allow the extension of operations for an additional 30 days under the title of “ensuring a safe withdrawal of forces.”

The magazine quoted sources in Congress as saying that the Democrats have not yet made a final decision on resorting to the judiciary, as they prefer at the present stage to exhaust the legislative tools within Congress before taking any escalatory step.

She added that Senator Adam Schiff intends to push for a new vote this week on a draft resolution aimed at restricting Trump’s powers to wage wars without returning to the legislative institution.

Since the start of the war on Iran, a number of Democratic representatives have escalated their criticism of the Trump administration, warning of the “dangers” of expanding the scope of military escalation, and of a possible overreach of the president’s constitutional powers in managing foreign operations without clear legal cover.

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Iraqi Oil Ministry launches first phase of Bin Omar gas investment with a capacity of 80 million cubic feet per day

The Ministry of Oil inaugurated on Wednesday the first phase of the accelerated Bin Omar gas investment project in the Nahr Bin Omar field, in a move aimed at enhancing associated gas investment and supporting the energy system in Iraq.

In this regard, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil for Gas Affairs, Izzat Saber Ismail, said in a speech he delivered during the ceremony that the project was completed in record time, as work started in the first week of this month and was completed before its end, thanks to the continuous efforts made by the technical and engineering staff around the clock.

He stressed that “the gas sector enjoys exceptional attention from the government and the Ministry of Oil, as it represents a fundamental pillar in supporting the national economy and enhancing energy security,” indicating that “the ministry is working to achieve optimal investment in gas, whether associated or free, in a way that contributes to reducing waste and maximizing revenues.”

The Undersecretary explained that “the project includes extending a pipeline with a length of (5) kilometers and a diameter of (20) inches, to connect the gas system, with an initial investment capacity ranging between (70 – 80) million standard cubic feet per day.”

He added that the project will contribute to supplying between (55-65) million standard cubic feet per day of dry gas to feed power plants, and producing between (500-600) tons per day of liquefied gas to meet the needs of the local market, as well as producing about (1800) barrels per day of condensates, which will support national revenues.

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Al-Zaydi receives support from Al-Maliki and assurances from Al-Amiri, Al-Hakim, and Al-Khazali

Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zidi intensified his meetings with leaders of the Coordination Framework on Wednesday, as part of consultations to form the new government, amid calls to expedite the formation of a national cabinet capable of facing challenges and enhancing stability.

Al-Zaydi met with Hadi al-Amiri, Secretary-General of the Badr Organization, where they discussed the latest political developments and efforts to form a new government, as well as the most pressing challenges. Al-Amiri stressed the need to form a national government that meets the needs of the citizens and strengthens stability.

The head of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, also received al-Zaydi and discussed with him the situation in the country and the region, emphasizing the importance of unifying the efforts of national forces and working in a spirit of cooperation and partnership to form a government capable of consolidating Iraq’s unity and preserving its sovereignty. Al-Maliki expressed his support for al-Zaydi in his efforts to form a government that serves the public interest and enhances security and stability.

In another meeting, the head of the National State Forces Alliance, Ammar al-Hakim, received the prime minister-designate, stressing the importance of the government formation reflecting the will of the Iraqi people in all its diversity and components.

Al-Hakim stressed the need to empower competent individuals in ministries, and to cooperate with the House of Representatives and the Supreme Judicial Council in enacting laws, while emphasizing the importance of completing the service and economic projects initiated by the previous government.

He also called for openness to the regional and international environment, setting priorities, foremost among them the financial and economic challenge, as well as diversifying sources of income and oil export outlets, reforming the banking sector and attracting foreign investments.

On the security front, Al-Hakim stressed the need to maintain security stability, support security agencies, and enhance intelligence efforts to prevent the return of terrorism.

Al-Zaydi also met today with the Secretary-General of the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq movement, Qais al-Khazali, where the two sides discussed developments in the country and stressed the need to exert maximum efforts to form a national government capable of facing current challenges and providing services to citizens.

Al-Zaydi also met today with the head of the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq, Humam Hamoudi, and discussed with him ways to expedite the formation of a new national government that meets the aspirations of citizens to enhance services and consolidate stability throughout Iraq, according to a statement issued by his office.

The coordinating framework had agreed, on Tuesday evening, to grant al-Zidi the freedom to choose his cabinet, after he announced his nomination for the premiership on Monday evening, following the withdrawal of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Nouri al-Maliki from the race for the position.

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The coordinating framework is meeting tonight with Al-Zaydi to outline the roadmap for the new government.

A source within the coordination framework revealed that political and party leaders will hold their first meeting this Wednesday evening with Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zidi to discuss the formation of the new cabinet.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that the attendees will discuss during the meeting the roadmap for the next government according to the official standards and weights allocated to each ministerial portfolio.

He added that Al-Zaydi is conducting visits to all the influential leaders within the coordination framework, to agree on mechanisms for forming the government and to learn about the visions of the political leaders, before the meeting scheduled for the evening.

Al-Zaidi’s meetings, up until this morning, included Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Nouri al-Maliki, Ammar al-Hakim, Hadi al-Amiri, and Qais al-Khazali.

The coordinating framework had agreed, on Tuesday evening, to grant al-Zidi the freedom to choose his cabinet, a day after he announced his nomination for the premiership following the withdrawal of outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki from the race for the position.

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Two experts disagree on the UAE’s withdrawal from OPEC, ranging from a price collapse to a limited impact.

Iraqi oil and economic experts have differing opinions on the repercussions of the United Arab Emirates’ withdrawal from OPEC, ranging from warnings of a sharp drop in oil prices to estimates that rule out a major impact on the global market.

Oil expert Dirgham Muhammad Ali told Shafaq News Agency that the UAE’s withdrawal could lead to an uncontrolled increase in production outside the quota system, threatening a large surplus in oil supply.

He added that any uncalculated increase in supply would lead to severe pressure on prices, potentially resulting in significant price drops or even a market collapse, especially if the commitment of the remaining countries within the OPEC+ alliance is weak.

He pointed out that the oil market is based on a balance of supply and demand, and that any disruption from a major producer such as the UAE will have direct and rapid repercussions, noting that Iraq will be among the most affected, as it depends on oil revenues for more than 90 percent of its budget.

In contrast, economist Mohammed Al-Hassani ruled out a major impact, stressing that the UAE’s withdrawal would not necessarily lead to a collapse in prices, and that its impact would be limited as long as coordination continued within the “OPEC+” alliance.

He explained that the oil market is now affected by multiple factors, including global demand, geopolitical tensions, and the ability of major countries, especially Saudi Arabia, to balance the market by adjusting production levels.

He added that the UAE may continue to coordinate informally with producers, which reduces the likelihood of a price shock, indicating that any potential decline will affect Iraq, but it will not necessarily be a sharp collapse as feared.

This debate comes at a time when global markets are watching closely to see how well producers will adhere to production control policies, and the impact of geopolitical developments on supply and demand levels.

The UAE announced that it would withdraw from the organization and would be able to determine its own production levels, effective May 1st.

The UAE is seeking higher production quotas from OPEC due to its ability to produce far more oil than it is currently allowed to produce.

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Al-Zaydi forms two teams to write the government program and select the cabinet.

On Wednesday, Abu Mithaq al-Masari, a member of the Coordination Framework, announced that the Prime Minister-designate had formed two teams to write the government program and select the cabinet, confirming that al-Zaydi had announced the procedure during his visit to the Secretary-General of the Badr Organization, Hadi al-Amiri.

Al-Masari told Shafaq News Agency that “the assignment of the Coordination Framework to Al-Zidi to form the government is a serious and official assignment, and his visits today to the leaders and commanders of the Coordination Framework confirm his seriousness in expediting the formation of the government.”

For its part, an informed source told Shafaq News Agency that the mechanism for distributing ministries will be based on a specific number of points, with no less than ten seats for service ministries and more than 15 parliamentary seats for sovereign ministries.

The source said that the weight of the independent bodies will be determined in points after the cabinet is completed.

A source within the coordination framework revealed that political and party leaders will hold their first meeting this Wednesday evening with Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zidi to discuss the formation of the new cabinet.

The coordinating framework had agreed, on Tuesday evening, to grant al-Zidi the freedom to choose his cabinet, a day after he announced his nomination for the premiership following the withdrawal of outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki from the race for the position.

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Despite Tehran’s announcement, shipping data refutes claims that Iranian oil violated the embargo.

Shipping data reported by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday revealed no indications that any Iranian oil shipment had reached foreign markets.

The newspaper quoted Kpler, a company specializing in energy and shipping data, as saying that “Iran is facing increasing difficulties in exporting oil and commodities that represent the bulk of its revenues, amid tightening restrictions on related shipping movements.”

She added: “There are no indications that any Iranian oil shipment has managed to break the embargo and reach customers in China or other countries so far.”

The Fars News Agency reported on Tuesday that 52 Iranian ships broke the US blockade imposed on the country’s coasts in just 72 hours.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces continue to carry out operations throughout the Middle East, confirming the continued imposition of sanctions on Iran.

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“Suspending the dollar”: An American institute proposes security and financial pressures on Iraq

The US-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies blamed “Iraqi militias linked to Iran” for Washington’s suspension of dollar shipments to Baghdad, describing the move as “correct” and potentially useful for security and financial pressure on Iraq, and calling for an investigation into the activities of “Al-Nahrain Islamic Bank”.

While the American Institute indicated in a report translated by Shafaq News Agency that the United States has been transferring funds in amounts ranging from $400 to $500 million each time to Baghdad for many years, it pointed out that the US Treasury Department stopped sending these shipments related to Iraqi oil sales.

After the report noted that Iraqi militias linked to Iran had carried out hundreds of drone and missile attacks on American targets throughout Iraq, including the US embassy in Baghdad, it concluded that the comment was justified and that its usefulness depended on how Washington used it.

In this context, the report noted that Iraq is critically dependent on dollar inflows, but that the Iraqi government, and especially the Ministry of Oil, is deeply entangled with militias, adding that the suspension is being used correctly and serves as an effective, short-term financial lever for both security and financial pressure.

The report continued that without the dollar shipments sent from New Jersey to Baghdad, the economic demand for dollars in Baghdad is increasing, which weakens the relative value of the Iraqi dinar, which in turn makes importing goods such as food and fuel more difficult.

According to the US report, when shipments of dollars are transferred to Iraq, they sometimes end up in the hands of militias through banking services, including groups such as Kataib Hezbollah and Popular Mobilization Forces factions that run construction and import companies, currency exchanges, and security contracting.

The report considered that a large part of the problem lies with the state-owned Rafidain Bank, as it is the final means of distributing oil revenues deposited in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which reach Iraqi society, especially civil servants, after until recently it also reached members of the Popular Mobilization Forces through their salaries, which were forced by pressure from the Treasury Department to be transferred to the smaller, state-owned Al-Nahrain Islamic Bank.

The report concluded that this contributed to moving the problem to another place instead of solving it.

The report noted that a prolonged dollar shortage would fuel inflation and monetary instability, further weakening the Iraqi government’s power against militias. It recalled that U.S. State Department officials have long expressed concern that the more Baghdad struggles to pay salaries and manage the value of the dinar, the more space there will be for militias to fill the void with their own parallel networks of patronage and coercion.

After noting that the United States must push for Iraq’s compliance but without draining its economy, the report argued that suspending dollar shipments gives Washington leverage.

On the security front, the report suggested that Washington should pressure Baghdad to strengthen security around American diplomatic facilities before resuming dollar deliveries.

On the financial front, the report called on Washington to continue pushing Iraq away from a cash-based economy, which obscures transactions linked to terrorism, towards reliance on electronic payments.

In addition, the report called on Washington to investigate whether Al-Nahrain Islamic Bank poses a significant risk in money laundering activities and should therefore be subject to administrative measures pursuant to Section 311 of the US Patriot Act, which authorizes the denial of foreign financial institutions’ access to the dollar.

In addition, the report called on the United States to threaten sanctions against ministers and other senior officials involved in smuggling fuel to militias.

The report concluded by calling on Washington to continue pressing for external audits and compliance controls for Rafidain Bank, which is the main instrument for dollar flows, before resuming dollar shipment deliveries, adding that the possibility of obtaining dollars without accountability should not be acceptable.

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Iraq’s financial revenues exceed 8 trillion dinars during the month

The Ministry of Finance revealed on Monday that the volume of Iraqi revenues in the federal budget during January 2026 exceeded 8 trillion dinars.

Shafaq News Agency followed up on the data and tables issued by the Ministry of Finance this April for the accounts of January 2026, which showed total revenues amounting to 8 trillion, 537 billion, 96 million, 679 thousand, and 517 dinars, an increase of 6% compared to the same period of 2025, which amounted to 8 trillion, 40 billion, and 323 million dinars.

According to the financial tables, oil revenues amounted to 7 trillion, 75 billion, 94 million, and 766 thousand dinars, which constitutes 83% of the general budget, while non-oil revenues amounted to 1 trillion, 462 billion, 1 million, and 913 thousand dinars.

She indicated that the non-oil revenues transferred from the Kurdistan Region to the state treasury amounted to 120 billion dinars.

She indicated that the total current expenditures amounted to 8 trillion, 345 billion, 781 million, and 900 thousand dinars, including salaries for employees amounting to 5 trillion and 87 billion dinars, pensions for retirees amounting to 1 trillion and 598 billion dinars, and social welfare salaries amounting to 458 billion dinars.

In March 2021, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, the Prime Minister’s advisor for financial affairs, confirmed in an interview with Shafaq News Agency that the reasons for the economy remaining rentier are due to the wars and the imposition of the economic embargo on Iraq during the past era, and what we are witnessing today in terms of political conflicts has led to the dispersal of economic resources.

The Iraqi state’s continued reliance on oil as the sole source of its general budget puts Iraq at risk from global crises that occur from time to time due to the impact on oil, forcing the country each time to cover the deficit by borrowing from abroad or within, which indicates an inability to manage state funds effectively and an inability to find alternative financing solutions.

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Among them are “military sanctions”… The Iraqi government issues directives to restrict weapons to the state.

On Monday, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, issued decisions regarding restricting weapons to the state and taking firm measures against outlaws, as well as military penalties against those who fail in their duties from the security forces.

The spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Sabah al-Nu’man, said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that “the Prime Minister (outgoing) Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani, chaired today the third periodic meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security for the year 2026.”

He pointed out that “during the meeting, the overall security situation in the country was discussed, and the topics on the agenda were considered, and the necessary decisions and recommendations were made regarding them, including the report on monitoring sources of terrorism financing, importing anti-aircraft systems, and keeping Iraq neutral from the course of the regional conflict.”

He explained that “the attendees discussed regional developments, security, political and economic challenges, and the government’s commitment to protecting Iraq’s sovereignty and consolidating security and stability through integrated measures at the security, administrative and diplomatic levels.”

According to Al-Nu’man, the council affirmed “Iraq’s right to defend itself and prevent any attempt to target or use its territory. As a result of these discussions, a number of important recommendations were emphasized, including security and military measures, restricting weapons to the state, and taking decisive measures against outlaws.”

The Council decided to “take the necessary security, military and legal measures to prevent any attack on neighboring countries from Iraqi territory, or any attack on diplomatic missions, and to confront any entity operating outside the framework of the state, while pursuing the perpetrators of these acts without exception, in order to ensure the protection of Iraq’s security and sovereignty.”

Regarding administrative procedures, the Ministerial Council decided to “dismiss and hold accountable the offending parties and elements or those involved in illegal acts and refer them to the judiciary.”

Regarding the protection of diplomatic missions, the Council stressed that “any infringement on the security and safety of diplomatic missions and facilities is unacceptable and against the law, and the government will take firm military, security, legal and administrative measures against the perpetrators of these acts, in order to preserve the sovereignty of the state and the prestige of its institutions.”

The Council affirmed that “targeting neighboring countries from Iraqi territory is considered a terrorist act, and this description applies to any act targeting diplomatic missions operating in Iraq.”

In the file of strengthening diplomatic efforts, the Council decided to “intensify communication and diplomatic coordination with neighboring countries and countries of the region, in a way that enhances reducing tensions and consolidating regional stability, and enshrines the approach of dialogue and understanding as a basic option, and in a way that ensures the protection of Iraq’s supreme interests and strengthens its regional position.”

He stressed the need to “strengthen mechanisms for exchanging information and security assessments, in order to support joint efforts to combat cross-border threats, and to unify relevant regional and international efforts in confronting security challenges, and to enhance cooperation based on respect for sovereignty and common interests.”

The Council stressed “the need for neighboring brotherly and friendly countries to refrain from using their territories as a launching pad for attacks on Iraq, or from violating its territorial sovereignty, the sanctity of its airspace and waters.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Ministerial Council for National Security affirmed that “protecting the state requires decisive decisions and proactive measures, and that integration between security, administrative and diplomatic work represents a national necessity to maintain stability, strengthen the economy, and preserve Iraq’s regional and international standing.”

The participants stressed “preventing any military action against any party whatsoever within Iraqi territory, and that Iraq is responsible for its own security and no party has the right to interfere in its affairs.”

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