Powerful forces are searching for alternatives to Maliki, and the Sudanese alliance is proposing two options for the premiership.

An informed political source reported on Monday that some of the active forces within the Coordination Framework are looking for a candidate to replace Nouri al-Maliki for the position of the next government. While the Framework confirmed its rejection of renewing the mandate of the outgoing Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the Reconstruction and Development Alliance put forward two options, with no third, for the leadership of the next government.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that “some of the active forces within the framework are studying a group of names of candidates for the premiership due to the lack of agreement among the framework’s components on a specific candidate after the American veto on the leader of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, the framework’s official candidate.”

He pointed out that “there is a rejection of the idea of ​​renewing al-Sudani’s term, especially with the arrival of signals from religious leaders who also reject renewal,” indicating that “the coming days will witness intensive activity and continuous meetings to agree on a specific figure acceptable to everyone after vetting the names that will be put forward by some of the influential forces.”

The source continued: “According to the information, if it becomes impossible to pass Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani for a second term, the Reconstruction and Development bloc, which is led by the current Prime Minister, will likely put forward the head of the Reconstruction and Development parliamentary bloc, Bahaa Al-Araji, as an alternative to Al-Sudani, especially since he was a deputy prime minister in a previous government.”

He explained that “the forces of the framework, after agreeing in their meeting last night on the mechanisms for choosing the President of the Republic and setting a final date for the session to name the President, discussed the file of the Prime Ministership in some detail and put forward several names, but one of the active forces in the scene and supporting the renewal of the mandate for Al-Sudani put a veto on all the proposals of the settlement candidates.”

In addition, the spokesman for the Reconstruction and Development parliamentary bloc, Firas Al-Muslawi, confirmed to Shafaq News Agency that “Parliament has set a non-extendable date for the session to name the President of the Republic, and there is a parliamentary agreement to vote on the Kurdish candidate for the presidency if the Kurdish forces agree on one candidate. However, if two candidates are presented for the presidency of the Republic, then the vote under the dome of Parliament is the deciding factor.”

He added that “after the President of the Republic chooses, the latter will task the framework’s nominee to form the government, and we in Reconstruction and Development have no nominee other than Al-Sudani to head the government again, as he achieved success in managing the government.”

Al-Muslawi added: “During the coming period, the Coordination Framework will study several options regarding the candidate for the Prime Ministership, but according to our information, most of the Framework’s forces support renewing Al-Sudani’s second term, as he enjoys acceptance from all parties within the country and international and regional parties. I believe that April 11 will witness the naming of the President of the Republic and the Government in a way that serves the country’s interest.”

Earlier on Monday, the Speaker of Parliament decided to set Saturday, April 11, as the date for holding a session to elect the President of the Republic, calling on the leaders of the political blocs to “bear their responsibilities in completing the constitutional requirements and forming a government capable of facing the challenges.”

The Presidency of the House of Representatives held a consultative meeting Sunday, in which it discussed the ongoing preparations to set a date for a session to elect the new President of the Republic of Iraq during this week in order to end the current political deadlock and proceed with the formation of the next government.

This comes as 220 members of the Iraqi parliament submitted a list of their names and signatures to the parliament’s leadership, demanding that a session be held next Monday to elect the president of the republic.

The coordinating framework that brings together the ruling Shiite political forces in Iraq agreed to postpone deciding on a prime ministerial candidate until after the end of the ongoing regional war between the United States and Israel against Iran, according to a political source who spoke to Shafaq News Agency earlier.

The Coordination Framework had officially nominated Maliki on January 24, a move that opened the door to negotiations to form the new government, but the process faltered as disagreements continued over the election of the President of the Republic, the constitutional entitlement that precedes assigning the candidate of the largest bloc to form the government.

For its part, the framework praised the parliamentary movement to resolve the issue of the presidency, stressing the need to expedite the completion of this constitutional entitlement, and calling on the political forces to resolve it and take advantage of the deadline for holding the session in order to put an end to the state of paralysis.

Shafaq.com

MP: The session to elect the president is not yet decided, and postponement is possible.

Former MP, Arif Al-Hamami, confirmed on Tuesday that the session scheduled for April 11 to elect the President of the Republic has not yet been decided, noting that setting the date came as a result of initial understandings that have not reached the stage of final confirmation.

Al-Hamami told Al-Maalouma that “the Iraqi parliament’s setting of a session on April 11 to elect the president is still not decided among the political forces, and it cannot be confirmed that it will be held at this time,” indicating that “postponing the date remains very possible in light of the lack of mature agreements.”

He added that “Iraq is going through a difficult phase and multifaceted challenges, which requires a clear political decision to complete the formation of the government, starting with the election of the President of the Republic, up to the assignment of the candidate of the largest bloc, in order to proceed with managing the current crises, especially the financial and economic files.”

Al-Hamami indicated that “next week will witness a series of important meetings in Baghdad between various political forces,” noting that “these meetings may lead to outcomes that push towards greater consensus regarding the April 11th session, including the forces of the Coordination Framework, in preparation for electing the President of the Republic and tasking the candidate of the largest bloc.”

Almaalomah.me

In a mysterious mission, Al-Halbousi disappears from sight and leaves the country.

A source in Anbar province revealed on Tuesday that Mohammed al-Halbousi, head of the Progress Alliance, has disappeared from public view amid reports suggesting he has traveled abroad on a mission whose details remain unclear.

The source told Al-Maalomah News Agency that “al-Halbousi left Anbar for Jordan to meet with senior Jordanian officials, in the presence of American officials and leaders from the former Ba’ath Party. His trip is expected to include visits to Turkey and Gulf states to discuss the formation of a new government aligned with the Trump administration.”

The source added that “al-Halbousi held secret and unannounced talks with officials in the Trump administration and Gulf states before heading to Jordan, without disclosing the results,” noting that his movements were characterized by complete secrecy. The source
explained that “influential figures in the central government were aware in advance of al-Halbousi’s visit to establish a long-term political partnership with the United States, the Gulf states, Turkey, and Jordan,” confirming that al-Halbousi traveled overland from Anbar via the Trebil border crossing.

This visit coincided with Israeli-American bombing of Anbar cities, which resulted in the martyrdom and injury of a number of security personnel and civilians, adding further ambiguity to the timing and purpose of the mission.

Almaalomah.me

In numbers… Iraq’s Integrity Commission reveals its annual achievements: Recovering and protecting nearly one trillion dinars

The Federal Integrity Commission announced on Tuesday a “heavy” tally of its oversight and investigative operations during the year, confirming the prevention of waste and the preservation of public funds worth nearly “one trillion Iraqi dinars,” with the issuance of arrest and summons orders that included dozens of ministers and officials.

The Authority stated in its annual report that the total amount of funds that were preserved amounted to (837,094,441,942) dinars and (550,815,321) US dollars, within the framework of its investigative and precautionary procedures aimed at protecting public funds and preventing their waste.

She explained that the number of reports that she considered during the year amounted to (37,175) reports with a completion rate of (85.64%), while the number of criminal cases amounted to (31,355) cases with a completion rate of (73.23%), which reflects the growing volume of work in the investigative field, indicating that the number of summons orders issued amounted to (14,645) orders, including (18) orders against ministers and those of their rank, and (276) orders against those of special ranks and general managers.

The number of arrest warrants reached (3,461) warrants, including (21) warrants against ministers and those of their rank, and (118) warrants against those of special ranks, in addition to issuing (1,950) arrest warrants, and (215) travel ban decisions, including decisions against senior leaders, noting the implementation of (1,555) arrest operations in various governorates, which resulted in the arrest of (671) accused persons caught in the act.

Regarding stalled projects, the Authority identified (116) projects in (10) governorates, with a total value of (946,031,754,995) dinars and (721,191,424) dollars, and (32) criminal cases were opened concerning them.

In the legal field, the Authority confirmed the issuance of (522) non-final judicial rulings of conviction involving (810) convicts, while the rulings that had reached the final level amounted to (370) rulings, and the number of convicts covered by the general amnesty amounted to (1,301) convicts for (666) judicial decisions.

She added that her achievements in the preventive field were represented by receiving (49,060) financial disclosure statements, in which the response rate of the three presidencies was (100%), and the disclosure of (83) cases of conflict of interest, while the total amount of money in which final judicial rulings were issued in cases of illicit gain amounted to (21,035,599,000) Iraqi dinars.

The number of visits conducted by the Authority through its teams to monitor job performance and promote the integrity of work procedures amounted to (734) visits, which included (419) administrative formations, while the number of reports prepared regarding them amounted to (61) reports.

In the field of recovery, the number of files for receiving fugitives that are ready is (78) files, and (55) files are being prepared, while the number of files for recovering smuggled funds that are ready is (56) files, and (139) files are being completed, and (5,947,308,992) Iraqi dinars were recovered from inside Iraq.

Shafaq.com

China confirms that 3 ships successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that three Chinese ships recently crossed the Strait of Hormuz successfully.

Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that “Beijing appreciates the assistance provided by the concerned parties to ensure the safe passage of ships,” stressing that “China will continue to monitor the situation to ensure the safety of navigation.”

Recent shipping tracking data showed that the number of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz daily, which before the war ranged between 130 and 140 ships, gradually decreased as tensions escalated, until at times it dropped to less than 10 ships a day, and at certain times the crossing was limited to only a few ships, which shipping industry workers described as “a rare development in one of the world’s busiest energy corridors.”

The American-Israeli war on Iran has entered its second month, with raids on Iran continuing, and Iran responding by striking Israeli territory and American military sites in the Middle East.

Tehran had announced on March 11 that it would not allow any oil shipments belonging to the United States or its allies to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil exports pass.

Shafaq.com

60 oil tankers crossed through the Al-Walid border crossing and headed to revive the Haditha-Aqaba pipeline.

Anbar Provincial Council member Adnan al-Kubaisi announced on Tuesday that more than 60 trucks loaded with Iraqi oil had begun crossing through the al-Walid border crossing, predicting that the number of trucks transporting the oil would rise to between 600 and 700 in the coming period.

Al-Kubaisi told Shafaq News Agency that “there is a trend to resume the mechanism of exporting oil through the Syrian and Jordanian ports in quantities that may exceed 200,000 barrels per day, as was the practice before 2003 using tankers.”

He added that “the next stage may witness parliamentary action to compel the government to implement the modern Aqaba pipeline project, given its strategic importance in diversifying oil export outlets.”

Al-Kubaisi pointed out that “the project was previously approved but faced objections, but there is currently pressure to reactivate it and proceed with its completion, given the economic benefits it provides, as well as its positive impact on Anbar Governorate, especially with regard to the petrodollar file.”

Shafaq.com

US Defense Secretary: We are working aggressively in Iranian airspace… and the coming days will be decisive.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that US forces are operating “vigorously in Iranian airspace,” stressing that “the coming days will be critical” as military operations continue and Iranian capabilities decline.

Hegseth added at a press conference that US forces are “bombing deep inside Iran with force,” noting communication with members of the Navy and Air Force “who are shooting down Iranian missiles and drones,” and stressing that “our forces have lethal capabilities and our pilots are operating with high efficiency in Iran.”

He explained that “Operation Epic Wrath focuses on speed of execution in order to achieve victory,” indicating that the soldiers “did not ask to return home but asked me to complete the mission and provide them with bombs and targets,” noting that the American forces “face the Iranian threat daily and are aware of the dangers of Iran possessing nuclear weapons.”

He continued, “Our war is linked to history and heritage, and our success in it is important, and we are closer to victory than ever before,” stressing that “the coming days will be decisive, and Iran knows that.”

He noted that “in the past few hours we have seen the lowest number of missiles launched by Iran,” stressing that “the Iranians’ capabilities are declining and our central command confirms that they have a leadership deficit.”

Hegseth also confirmed “what President Trump said, that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” adding that “we don’t see many pictures from inside Iran because they have cut off the internet.”

He noted that “there has been a change in the new Iranian regime and it needs to be wiser,” adding that “if Iran is wise, it will agree to the deal on offer.” He also said that he “visited the Middle East on Saturday and spoke to our forces there.”

The US Secretary of Defense threatened that “the United States will continue its military operations with greater intensity if Iran refuses to sign a peace agreement,” noting that “Trump wants to reach an agreement with Iran and Tehran is aware of Washington’s conditions.”

For his part, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Keane said during the conference that the forces “continue to destroy and undermine Iran’s capabilities,” stressing “the continued destruction of missile and drone capabilities as well as manufacturing operations.”

He added that US forces “bombed more than 11,000 targets and achieved air superiority that allowed the use of B-52 bombers,” noting the “destruction of more than 150 Iranian ships.”

The US Chief of Staff affirmed “continuing to impose dominance over the Iranian Navy and focusing on targeting its mine-laying capabilities.”

Shafaq.com

Prime Minister’s Advisor: Three-pronged plan to secure salaries amid global challenges

The Prime Minister’s financial advisor, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, confirmed on Tuesday that the current policy guarantees the continuation of salaries and social welfare grants. While identifying three main sources to ensure the sustainability of salaries and social spending, he indicated that Iraq is capable of facing global financial and economic shocks efficiently and effectively. The advisor told the official news agency that “the sustainability of monthly expenditures for salaries, wages, pensions, and social welfare allowances, in light of the current economic challenges and global fluctuations due to geopolitical risks, is a top priority, and depends on three main sources of revenue that guarantee the protection of the living and social stability of citizens on a regular monthly basis.”

He explained that “the first source is maximizing non-oil revenues, as ensuring the liquidity of collecting these revenues is achieved by intensifying approved electronic payment methods, which enhances the state’s own financial resources and reduces total dependence on oil revenues.”

Saleh added that “the second source is expanding the base of crude oil and petroleum product exports. This policy includes using traditional export channels whenever possible, including land and sea transport through neighboring countries, according to current global oil prices, which have seen an increase of nearly 70% compared to their levels before the outbreak of tensions in the Gulf and Middle East region.” He pointed out that “this export expansion contributes, in light of high crude oil prices, to boosting the revenues needed to cover social spending and ensure the stability of the local market.”

He also explained that “the third source of revenue is to follow a pattern of targeted quantitative easing policies, with monetary and fiscal coordination, where coordination between monetary and fiscal policy is intensified, and this coordination is supported by efficient foreign exchange reserves, to ensure the stability of the national economy and the sustainability of public social spending, including the payment of salaries, pensions and social welfare allowances without any interruption.”

Saleh concluded by saying: “The continuation of these integrated policies guarantees the protection of monthly job income, enhances economic and social stability in the country, and makes Iraq capable of facing global financial and economic shocks efficiently and effectively.”

Burathanews.com

The US military sends a message to Iranian soldiers: Leave your positions immediately.

The US Central Command confirmed on Thursday that the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s naval forces, Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri, was killed in an Israeli airstrike, stating that this “contributes to strengthening the security of the region.”

US Central Command chief Brad Cooper said in a statement seen by Shafaq News that Tangsiri led the Revolutionary Guard’s naval forces for eight years and oversaw “attacks targeting commercial vessels and civilians using drones and missiles.”

He added that the US military operations, as part of what he described as “Operation Epic Wrath,” resulted in the destruction of 92% of the large ships belonging to the Iranian navy, depriving it of the ability to carry out effective military operations in the Middle East or beyond.

Cooper indicated that the US strikes against the Revolutionary Guard’s naval forces would continue, calling on Iranian military personnel to “leave their positions immediately to avoid danger.”

The U.S. Treasury Department had designated Tanksiri a “global terrorist” in 2019, with additional sanctions imposed on him in 2024 related to drone programs.

Shafaq.com

Al-Saadi: Iraqi oil shipments will continue to flow through the Strait of Hormuz after coordination with Tehran.

Former MP Baqir al-Saadi confirmed on Thursday that Iraqi oil shipments will continue to flow to international markets via the Strait of Hormuz, following coordination with Tehran.

Speaking to Al-Maalouma, al-Saadi said, “The coming days will witness the flow of more oil shipments produced from Iraqi fields via giant tankers towards international markets through the Strait of Hormuz, in coordination with Tehran to secure safe passages.”
He added that “the return of Iraqi oil to global markets is very important for Baghdad’s economy,” stressing that “Iraqi fields will compensate for lost production by increasing their output rates, which will positively impact the next phase.”

Al-Saadi explained that “oil represents more than 90% of Iraq’s revenues,” noting that “coordination between Baghdad and Tehran is very important and has begun to bear fruit in securing safe passages for tankers carrying Iraqi oil to international markets.”

Almaalomah.me