CENTCOM: Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz, and F-16 fighter jets are patrolling the Middle East.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Wednesday that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has no authority to impose routes for free and open navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. DailyNews Reports

She added in a post on the “X” platform, which was monitored by Shafaq News Agency, that commercial ships continue to use the strait with American military support.

She added that since early May, US forces have helped nearly 1,000 ships and 500 million barrels of crude oil pass through this narrow waterway.

In another post, the US command said: “A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet is flying in the skies over the Middle East. The F-16 is capable of performing a variety of missions, including air combat, air-to-ground attacks, tactical reconnaissance, and close air support.”

Earlier today, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had rejected Oman’s proposal for joint regional management of the Strait of Hormuz, saying there was no chance of it succeeding.

He added that the Sultanate must supervise the part of the strait that falls under its control, noting that the southern routes through the strait, which pass through Omani territorial waters, could pose a danger to navigation.

In developments regarding the Strait of Hormuz, a US official confirmed that Iran is exaggerating its demands related to the Strait of Hormuz, and explained in statements reported by Reuters that these demands are rejected by America, Oman, and the international community.

He pointed out that the agreement currently being discussed regarding the waterway is only about coordination and will not include talk of imposing any fees, whether for passage or otherwise.

For his part, US President Donald Trump reiterated that the United States controls the strait, not Iran.

In contrast, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi asserted that opening the southern route to the Strait of Hormuz would have caused Iran to lose control of the strait, noting that the Sultanate of Oman had requested that the removal of Hormuz mines be entrusted to another country, but Tehran did not allow it.

The Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister also stressed that the Strait has become part of the country’s national security, noting that Tehran is working to strengthen its defense capabilities and will not abandon them.

Control of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean that serves as the main route for about a fifth of the world’s oil supply and other vital commodities, has long been a major point of contention in efforts to end the war between the United States and Iran. It has been largely closed since the beginning of the war.

Shafaq.com

Kurdish warnings of an American plan to create a new political landscape in Iraq

Luqman Hassan, a member of the Kurdish Azadi Movement, warned of an American plan to create a new political landscape in Iraq that could lead to unforeseen events.
Hassan told Al-Maalouma, “Iraq and its internal political scene will witness a turning point in the coming period after the end of the ongoing war in the region between America and Israel on one side and Iran on the other.”

He added, “The post-war period may witness unexpected events, especially given the continued foreign interference and the statements made by the US envoy to Iraq and Syria, Tom Barrack, that federalism is unsuitable for both countries.”

He explained that “these statements may be intended to pave the way for a return to a centralized political system in order to control the security apparatus, state funds, and the economy,” noting that “there is an American green light to create a new political landscape in Iraq, which could lead to unforeseen events.” IraqPolitics News

Almaalomah.me

Al-Moussawi: Parliament has the authority to review and cancel Al-Zaidi’s agreements with Washington

Political analyst Haider al-Moussawi believes there is a possibility of reviewing the agreements signed by al-Zidi with the American side, stressing that Parliament has the authority to review these agreements and reject any that do not serve Iraq’s interests.
Al-Moussawi told Al-Maalouma, “There is an urgent need for the House of Representatives to move towards reviewing the agreements signed by al-Zidi during his visit to the United States, including the agreement with Syria on exporting oil via the Banias pipeline.”

He added, “The House of Representatives has the authority and power to reject any agreement it finds not to be in Iraq’s interest after reviewing what was agreed upon between al-Zidi and the American side.”

He pointed out that “General Electric signed contracts with Iraq in 2005, and these contracts are being renewed to this day, for the construction of power plants, yet the energy crisis persists,” noting that “renewing these contracts for this company is not in the interest of Iraq and its people, and this is something that the legislative and oversight authorities should pay attention to.” IraqiGovernment Updates

Almaalomah.me

Iraq announces the launch of the “Starlink” service.

The head of the executive body of the Media and Communications Commission, Baligh Abu Kalal, announced on Wednesday the actual launch of the “Starlink” satellite internet service in Iraq. DailyNews Reports

Abu Kalal said in a post published on the “X” platform: “With God’s blessing, the Starlink service has now been officially launched in Iraq.”

The announcement comes after months of regulatory and technical procedures related to introducing satellite internet service to the Iraqi market, allowing users to benefit from the service in accordance with the regulations approved by the competent authorities.

Shafaq.com

Al-Sadr calls on the Revolutionary Guard and militias to stop dragging Iraq into the regional conflict.

On Wednesday, Shiite nationalist leader Muqtada al-Sadr called on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and “militias” not to drag Iraq into the regional conflict, demanding that the government impose state sovereignty and control security.

In a statement seen by Shafaq News Agency, Sadr said that Iraq is “the land of holy sites,” calling on the Revolutionary Guard not to bomb Iraqi territory as long as it is “not a launching point for bombing the Islamic Republic.” He also called on “unruly militias” not to give the Gulf Arab states an “excuse” to target Iraq.

He added that everyone is required to have a “spirit of brotherhood and peace” and not to be drawn into what he described as “the Zionist-American enemy’s schemes” to drag the parties into fighting and conflict.

Al-Sadr condemned the targeting of Iraqi territory “by all countries and parties,” and, according to the statement, he also condemned “the actions of the militias,” which he said were trying to drag Iraq into a “pointless” war.

He called on the Iraqi government to establish security, enforce sovereignty, and work to protect the Iraqi people and their holy sites, warning against being drawn into “sectarian myths,” and stressing that Iraq “needs peace after the wars that have depleted its resources.”

He also called for caution regarding “sleeper terrorist cells” at home and abroad, considering that they exploit sectarianism to destabilize security, and concluded his statement with a call for peace with neighboring countries and to move away from “bases, normalization and colonial hegemony.”

Al-Sadr’s statement comes after several headquarters belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces in various parts of Iraq were subjected to Saudi-American bombing at dawn on Wednesday, which resulted in the death of at least 20 of its members and the injury of 32 others, in a toll described as “not final”.

Shafaq.com

Why have small denominations disappeared from the markets? Al-Zaydi’s advisor reveals the reasons.

The Prime Minister’s financial advisor, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, revealed on Wednesday the reasons for the scarcity of small denominations of currency in Iraqi markets, stressing that this is mainly related to their paper nature and the high speed of their circulation, which leads to their deterioration within a short period of time.

Saleh told Shafaq News Agency that issuing currency in its various denominations is one of the core tasks of the Central Bank of Iraq, which is responsible for managing the currency and providing the necessary liquidity to meet the needs of economic activity and ensure the smooth flow of payments and the stability of cash transactions.

He explained that small denominations of currency represent the primary tool for conducting low-value daily transactions, which makes them the most commonly traded among citizens and markets, and therefore the most susceptible to wear and tear.

Saleh added that Iraq, unlike many countries that rely on coins for small denominations, still uses paper denominations, noting that the lifespan of these denominations does not exceed about one year according to international standards, due to the intensity of their use and their continuous transfer between hands, at a time when reliance on paper money remains high while electronic payment methods continue to grow.

He pointed out that the Central Bank has accurate indicators and statistics to measure the demand for different denominations of currency, and it is the first entity to sense the market’s need to issue or reprint any denomination, especially the small denominations, which are characterized by their rapid circulation compared to the large denominations, which tend to be more towards saving or hoarding.

The government advisor concluded his remarks by saying that “providing small denominations is not just about issuing currency, but also represents one of the indicators of efficient cash management, and contributes to ensuring the smooth flow of economic activity and the stability of the payments system,” stressing that “these denominations are continuously monitored by the Central Bank of Iraq.”

Iraqi markets are experiencing ongoing suffering due to the scarcity of small denominations of currency, such as 250 and 500 dinars, which puts citizens and shop owners in front of frequent difficulties in completing daily buying and selling transactions.

Sellers often resort to compensating for the shortage by giving alternative goods such as gum, tissues, or sweets instead of returning the change as in the markets, while others are forced to round up or down prices, which provokes consumer dissatisfaction.

Shafaq.com

Al-Zaydi and Erdogan agree to begin implementing the “Development Road” and to organize meetings of the “Water Committee”.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Tuesday evening to begin implementing the “Strategic Development Road” project and to continue regular meetings of the joint standing committee between the two countries concerned with the water issue. IraqPolitics News

Al-Zaydi’s media office stated in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that extensive joint talks took place between the two sides at the Presidential Complex in the Turkish capital, Ankara, which included initiating the implementation of the “Strategic Development Road” project, as well as files related to the oil, water, energy, security, trade, transportation and education sectors, and strengthening cooperation and developing projects between the two countries, in addition to agreeing on the regularity of meetings of the Standing Committee concerned with the water file.

According to the statement, Al-Zaydi expressed his thanks and appreciation to Erdogan and the Republic of Turkey for the warm welcome and hospitality, noting that Iraq and Turkey share geography and civilization, and that the Iraqi government seeks to establish an effective economic partnership in various economic and developmental fields.

The Prime Minister affirmed the government’s commitment to proceeding with the strategic development plan, which will be an important economic route for both countries, and reiterated the government’s desire for Turkish companies to participate in implementing investment projects in Iraq.

For his part, the Turkish President renewed his welcome to Al-Zaidi and his accompanying delegation, and stressed the growing common will to cooperate in all fields and to exert more efforts to develop bilateral relations, stressing Turkey’s readiness to support Iraq in the field of civil aviation and to implement the development road project, as well as the readiness of Turkish companies to work and invest in various development sectors in Iraq.

Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for an official visit to the Republic of Turkey, leading a high-level government delegation.

Shafaq.com

The Democratic Party: Tehran rejected Baghdad’s request to allow ships carrying Iraqi oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

A politician from the Kurdistan Democratic Party confirmed on Tuesday that Tehran Request rejected Baghdad Allowing ships loaded with Iraqi oil to pass through Strait of Hormuz.

Party member Wafaa Mohammed told [the media outlet] Alsumaria News, that “Iran Iraq’s request to allow ships carrying Iraqi oil to pass through was rejected. Strait of Hormuz “Is this how you repay kindness?” he asked. DailyNews Reports

He added that Iraq It was the lifeblood of the Iranian economy and provided significant assistance to Iran during the sanctions. Iranian oil was sold using forged Iraqi documents, yet today we see no benefit from the Iranian side, which is currently insisting on Iraq paying $12 billion for Iranian gas at inflated prices.
He continued, “We mustn’t forget that Iraqi interests have been targeted repeatedly by Iranian drones and missiles in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Alsumaria.tv

Al-Jalabi: Maliki will not go to parliament before reaching an agreement on passing the remaining ministries.

Zuhair al-Jalabi, a member of the State of Law Coalition, confirmed that the head of his coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, will not go to parliament to complete the cabinet before an understanding and agreement is reached on passing the remaining candidates in al-Zidi’s cabinet.

Al-Jalabi told Al-Maalouma that “the parliamentary session to grant confidence to the government witnessed a conspiracy and a power struggle by parties within the coordination framework with other parties from the Sunni bloc, represented by Al-Halbousi, as they worked to obstruct a third within the council to ensure that the ministers of the State of Law Coalition and the other candidates for the nine remaining ministries in Al-Zaidi’s cabinet were not passed.”

He added that “the conspiracy that took place inside the parliament targeted the head of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, and this is something that should not be repeated,” noting that “the smiles distributed in the meetings are not real, as there are major disagreements and a lack of trust between the political parties.”

He explained that “Maliki will not go to parliament without reaching an agreement and understanding on passing the candidates for the remaining ministerial positions, in order to avoid a repeat of what happened during the confidence vote session.”

Almaalomah.me

Al-Abadi’s coalition: Party interests are hindering the completion of the government.

The spokesman for the Victory Coalition, Aqeel al-Rudaini, called on political forces Tuesday to set aside personal differences and work toward completing the government’s cabinet.

Al-Rudaini told the Information Agency, “All political parties must overcome their differences and narrow partisan interests, and focus on supporting the completion of the ministerial structure without delay.”

He added, “Completing the cabinet is a fundamental and crucial step to address the economic, service, and security crises plaguing the country, and to meet the aspirations of the citizens.”

Earlier, Zuhair al-Jalabi, a member of the State of Law Coalition, asserted that the parliamentary session to grant confidence to the government was marred by a conspiracy and a power struggle orchestrated by parties within the coordination framework with other Sunni figures, represented by al-Halbousi. He claimed they formed a blocking third within the parliament to ensure the failure to approve the State of Law Coalition’s ministers and other nominees for the nine remaining ministerial positions in al-Zaidi’s cabinet.

Almaalomah.me