Iraq excluded from the 2026 Index of Economic Freedom… and an expert explains the repercussions

The Heritage Foundation’s “Index of Economic Freedom 2026” report revealed that Iraq was not included in the ranking of countries this year, due to a lack of reliable economic data and a weak level of transparency necessary to calculate its scores, continuing its absence from the index since its last official assessment more than two decades ago.

The organization stated in a report seen by Shafaq News Agency that Iraq was included in the list of unranked countries, along with Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Liechtenstein and Ukraine, due to the lack of sufficient data on key indicators including investment freedom, business freedom, monetary freedom and property rights, which makes it difficult to assess its business environment or compare it with other countries included in the ranking.

The report explained that the index covers about 176 countries and is based on four main pillars: (the rule of law, the size of government, regulatory efficiency and open markets). It also measures 12 sub-indicators, which are given scores ranging from zero to 100 to determine the level of economic freedom in each country.

According to the results, Singapore topped the global rankings with 84.4 points, followed by Switzerland with 83.7 points, and then Ireland with 83.3 points, benefiting from open market environments, strong property rights protections, and high institutional efficiency. In contrast, Lebanon and Iran ranked among the lowest globally, scoring 43.1 and 41.8 points respectively.

On the Arab level, the report showed a disparity in levels of economic freedom, with the United Arab Emirates topping the list with 71.9 points, followed by Qatar with 70.2 points, then the Sultanate of Oman with 68.5 points, while Tunisia, Lebanon and Egypt came in the category of medium to low scores.

For his part, economist Mohammed Al-Hassani told Shafaq News Agency that “Iraq’s absence from the economic freedom index is mainly due to weak government transparency and a lack of accurate data that would enable the measurement of indicators such as investment and trade freedom and business freedom.”

Al-Hassani added that “not including Iraq in the index weakens the ability of foreign investors to assess its business environment, reduces its investment attractiveness, and deprives decision-makers of an international comparison tool that can be relied upon in guiding economic reforms and improving the investment climate.”

Shafaq.com

After Tehran spoke of destroying it, Washington confirms the continuation of “Abraham Lincoln” operations.

On Monday, the US Central Command responded to statements by Iranian Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, who said that the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln had suffered what he described as a “historic defeat” and was forced to leave the theater of operations, asserting that it continues its combat missions.

The command stated in a statement that “the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln continues its air operations day and night as part of Operation Epic Fury,” noting that “the carrier and its air wing are carrying out successive waves of strikes while sailing near Iran.”

She added that “the carrier’s continued air operations confirm its ability to continue its combat missions in the region.”

The spokesman for the Iranian armed forces, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, announced on Saturday that the largest American warship, the “Abraham Lincoln,” had suffered a historic defeat after being forced out of the theater of operations, stressing that this defeat would remain immortal in history.

This comes at a time when Iran is facing US and Israeli military attacks for the third week in a row, after it turned from a direct confrontation between Tehran and Tel Aviv into an open regional clash whose repercussions have extended to Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and the Gulf, amid growing fears for energy security, navigation and stability in the region.

Shafaq.com

Trump hints at the end of the war: There is nothing left to target.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the war with Iran “will end soon,” noting that there are no longer any important targets left in it.

Trump told the American website Axios, “The war with Iran will end soon, and when I want it to end, it will end, and when I decide,” noting that “there is little left to target in Iran.”

When asked about Iranian officials, Trump replied: “They have been targeting the rest of the Middle East. They are paying the price for 47 years of death and destruction they have caused. This is the answer. They will not get away with it so easily.”

Trump explained that “Iran has become hostile to the Gulf states in the region,” stressing that “our war in Iran is going great, and we have destroyed more than we expected there.”

Trump’s remarks come after an Iranian bank was targeted, and the Revolutionary Guard pledged in a statement to launch strikes on American and Israeli economic targets in the region, including banks.

The statement urged residents of the area to avoid being within one kilometer of these facilities, while HSBC Bank in Qatar announced the closure of all its branches following the Iranian warning.

Shafaq.com

A breakthrough is expected after Eid… Al-Moussawi outlines a roadmap to overcome the political deadlock.

Member of Parliament, Mukhtar al-Moussawi, called on political forces Wednesday to prioritize the national interest to break the political deadlock, amidst high-level political activity aimed at making strategic decisions concerning both domestic and international affairs.

Al-Moussawi told the Information Agency that “the region is passing through a dangerous security juncture that necessitates the swift formation of a fully empowered government.” He explained that “the current impasse and the halt in oil exports necessitate the presence of an executive authority capable of confronting the rapidly escalating economic repercussions.”

He added that “political forces are currently holding intensive consultations to agree on a roadmap to extricate the country from the crisis,” noting that “expectations point to a breakthrough in the selection of the president and ministers immediately after the Eid holiday.”

Al-Moussawi clarified that “resolving these constitutional requirements is no longer a political luxury but an urgent necessity to protect Iraq’s security and stability in light of regional challenges,” emphasizing that “the national decision must prioritize the public interest to overcome the current political stalemate.”

Almaalomah.me

Iran threatens Israeli and American banks in the region and targets bases in Erbil.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened on Wednesday to target Israeli and American banks and economic institutions in the region, confirming that it had targeted a number of bases in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region.

The spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said that “the Zionist entity targeted one of the Iranian banks last night,” indicating that “targeting the bank gives us the right to respond to Israeli and American economic institutions in the region.”

The spokesman called on citizens in the region to “stay one kilometer away from bank branches,” stressing: “The Americans should expect our decisive and similar response,” in a reference to a possible escalation against economic targets.

In addition, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced in another statement that it had targeted American and Israeli bases in Erbil, the American Fifth Fleet, and Be’er Ya’akov in Tel Aviv as part of the 37th wave of Operation (True Promise 4).

On Tuesday evening, air defenses in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, intercepted and shot down a drone near the city’s airport.

Shafaq.com

Al-Maliki divides the coordination framework into three wings, and Al-Amiri seeks to bring them together at a “breakfast banquet”.

An informed political source revealed on Wednesday that the head of the Badr Organization, Hadi al-Amiri, is making efforts to bring together the leaders of the Coordination Framework and bring them to the negotiating table to resolve the crisis of the candidate for the upcoming government.

Al-Amiri’s attempts come after the escalation of the dispute between the parties within the framework regarding the leader of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, the candidate for prime minister, around whom disagreements have revolved within the Shiite bloc itself, as well as from partners in the political process, in addition to external pressures, most notably the American ones, which reject al-Maliki assuming the premiership.

The source told Shafaq News Agency, “There are attempts by Al-Amiri to bring together the leaders of the Coordination Framework for an Iftar or Suhoor meal in the coming days to resolve the political dispute and solve the crisis of the prime minister candidate and the formation of the next government.”

He explained that “the coordination framework is currently divided into three wings, one of which includes Nouri al-Maliki, Mohsen al-Mandalawi and Hussein Mounis, another against al-Maliki which includes Ammar al-Hakim and Qais al-Khazali, and a third wing that is currently reserved which includes Hadi al-Amiri, Humam Hamoudi and Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.”

The parties of the coordination framework were supposed to meet on Monday to resolve the disputes and reach a candidate for the next government, but this did not happen due to the lack of convergence of views, according to a source in the coordination framework.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that “most of the forces within the framework had agreed to renew the mandate of caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, but the insistence of the framework’s candidate, Nouri al-Maliki, on his nomination, along with the rejection by some important parties in the Shiite bloc of renewing al-Sudani’s mandate, thwarted the meeting and no date was set for it to be held again.”

He added: “Official public meetings may be postponed until after the Eid al-Fitr holiday, meaning that internal meetings will continue to reach a final solution after clarifying the reasons for the rejection of the Sudanese renaming by the objecting parties.”

The framework, which is an alliance that includes the largest Shiite forces in parliament, occupies the position of the broadest bloc constitutionally capable of naming a candidate for prime minister after the election of the president of the republic.

Informed political sources told Shafaq News Agency at the time that last Monday’s meeting was to discuss whether Maliki would remain the framework’s candidate or withdraw in favor of another consensus figure, with Maliki to inform the framework’s leaders of his final position during the meeting.

According to the same sources, the meeting was preceded by separate meetings between prominent leaders within the framework, one of which included Ammar al-Hakim, Qais al-Khazali and Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, while another meeting brought together Nouri al-Maliki, Mohsen al-Mandalawi and Humam Hamoudi, and was also attended by the Popular Mobilization Forces leader Abu Fadak al-Muhammadawi, which is a first of its kind.

The participation of Abu Fadak al-Muhammadawi, the chief of staff of the Popular Mobilization Forces, has a special political and security significance, as it comes at the height of the regional confrontation between Iran on one side and the United States and Israel on the other, and with the escalation of American warnings that Iraqi factions loyal to Tehran may expand the circle of targeting inside Iraq, while the American embassy in Baghdad was subjected to a missile attack during the past few days.

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.

Any future prime minister in Iraq will face challenges in managing the balance between Iranian influence and American pressure, as well as the issue of armed factions linked to Tehran.

Pressure on Maliki’s nomination increased after US President Donald Trump announced on January 27 that Washington would not continue to support Iraq if Maliki returned to the premiership, while Maliki later said he would welcome a decision to replace his nomination if it came from the coalition that nominated him.

Shafaq.com

For the first time, America introduces advanced weapons into its war against Iran.

Reports issued by the US Department of Defense on Wednesday stated that the United States used a number of its modern combat systems for the first time during ongoing military operations against Iran, in a move that reflects a shift in the nature of warfare and the military technology used on the battlefields.

According to reports, “recent operations have seen the use of more than 20 different US military systems, including modern weapons that underwent their first real test in combat conditions.”

One of the most prominent of these systems is the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), a surface-to-surface ballistic missile launched from HIMARS platforms, with a range of between 400 and 500 kilometers, exceeding the range of the ATACMS missile, which reaches about 300 kilometers. The missile is characterized by high accuracy and a warhead weighing between 90 and 200 kilograms, in addition to a high speed of about 6,000 kilometers per hour.

The United States also used for the first time in this war “low-cost LUCAS attack drones, which cost about $35,000 each and have a range of about 800 kilometers with the ability to fly for up to six hours before hitting the target. These drones were used to target Iranian military installations, including radar sites and ballistic missile platforms.”

In the field of air defense, the US military has resorted to “using Coyote drones to intercept attack drones instead of expensive Patriot missiles, as the newer versions rely on technologies such as electromagnetic pulses to disable swarms of drones without detonating them.”

The upgraded version of the Tomahawk missile (Tomahawk Block V) also entered combat use for the first time, as it was launched by US Navy ships to target and track Iranian ships at sea. The missile features a special coating that reduces its radar signature and enhances its ability to remain stealthy during flight.

These developments indicate that “the introduction of these advanced systems represents a field test of modern American military technology, at a time when precision missiles, drones and low-cost solutions are becoming increasingly important in modern warfare.”

Shafaq.com

Reuters: Mojtaba Khamenei suffered minor injuries during the war and has been out of the public eye.

A senior Israeli official told Reuters on Wednesday that an Israeli intelligence assessment indicates that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was slightly wounded in the US-Israeli air war against his country, which explains his lack of public appearances.

The official added that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard imposed the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader of Iran, considering him a “more flexible version” of his father and capable of supporting the policies of this conservative force.

Reuters quoted three high-level Iranian sources, one a former reformist official and another with knowledge of internal affairs, as saying that Khamenei’s selection could lead to a more aggressive stance abroad and increased internal repression.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said last week that any leader appointed by the current Iranian leadership would be “a clear target for elimination.”

Earlier, Reuters reported that an Iranian state television presenter appeared to confirm rumors about Mojtaba’s injury, describing him as a “Janbaz” or “wounded veteran” of the “Ramadan War,” a term Iran uses for the current conflict.

The son of the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said on Wednesday that the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is “fine and in good health” despite being injured during the war.

Iran had announced the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s Supreme Leader, succeeding his father Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28 in Tehran.

In contrast, US President Donald Trump said he would not accept Mojtaba (56 years old) taking office and demanded that Iran surrender unconditionally.

Shafaq.com

Al-Saadi: The new government may be formed after the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Former MP Baqir al-Saadi confirmed on Tuesday that the formation of the next Iraqi government may take place after the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Al-Saadi told Al-Maalomah, “Despite the current situation in the region, the aggression against Iran, and the repeated targeting of Popular Mobilization Forces units that resulted in martyrs and wounded, efforts to proceed with forming the government are ongoing and it is taking upon itself the management of these files and the endeavor to address the economic and financial crises.”

He added that “expectations indicate that after the Eid al-Fitr holiday, we may witness the formation of a new government, especially since all political forces have become aware of the seriousness of the situation and the need to join forces to resolve the outstanding issues.”

He explained that “the next two weeks could be crucial in finding clear paths to resolve the presidential issue, and then moving to the final stage of tasking the candidate of the largest bloc with forming the cabinet,” stressing that “political meetings in Baghdad are ongoing and may yield more positive results in the coming period.”

Almaalomah.me

Al-Khaikani: The coming days will witness the birth of the new government and the finalization of its cabinet.

MP Abdullah al-Khaikani announced on Tuesday that the political transition is nearing its end, confirming that the coming days will witness the formation of the new government following advanced understandings between the political forces.

Al-Khaikani told Al-Maalouma that “negotiations have reached their final stages, and there is a national consensus on the need to expedite the formation of the government to confront the current challenges,” indicating that “the timeline points to resolving this issue within the next few days.”

He added that “the anticipated government will be obligated to implement a service and security program that meets the aspirations of the Iraqi people,” noting that “the Parliament is awaiting the arrival of the ministerial program and the names of the candidates to hold a session to vote and grant confidence.”

Al-Khaikani explained that “there is a determination on the part of the national forces to overcome the remaining technical differences to ensure the formation of a strong government capable of enforcing the law and restoring the state’s prestige,” pointing out that “the political stalemate has been broken, and the focus is now on fulfilling the constitutional requirements.”

Almaalomah.me