The Government Affirms Its Commitment To Restricting Weapons To The State And Keeping Iraq Out Of Regional Conflicts
latest news Sunday, Baghdad – One News 5/17/2026 The spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Sabah al-Nu’man, confirmed that the first strategic pillar in the ministerial program is the strengthening of national security, through a firm commitment to restricting weapons to the state and enforcing the rule of law.
Al-Nu’man told the Iraqi News Agency that this approach represents a fundamental step towards ending armed manifestations outside the legal framework and securing the internal stability necessary to protect the sovereignty of the state and ensure its security.
He added that the ministerial program approved a strict regulatory procedure to address the dispersal of resources and prevent overlapping powers, by unifying the security decision and linking all resources and capabilities to the official state system, in order to ensure that all armed formations are subject to the authority of the General Command and the unified security decision.
Al-Nu’man pointed out that the curriculum adopts a modern vision to enhance operational security, through the development of border monitoring systems according to modern technologies, and linking them to an intelligence effort to combat terrorism and organized crime and dry up its sources of funding.
He stressed that the right choice for Iraq is to stay away from the axes of regional and international conflict, and not to allow Iraq to be a passage or launching pad for attacks on other countries, or an arena for interference in its internal affairs, in order to protect internal stability from the repercussions of regional crises. https://1news-iq.net/الحكومة-تؤكد-حصر-السلاح-بيد-الدولة-وإب/
Unannounced Contacts To Integrate Forces That Have Expressed Their Willingness To Lay Down Arms And Engage Politically
latest news Sunday, May 17, 2026 Baghdad – One News The newspaper “Al-Sharq Al-Awsat” indicated that unannounced contacts and talks are currently taking place between political parties close to the government and the American administration, with the aim of reaching understandings that would allow the participation of some forces that have announced their abandonment of their armed wings, while maintaining their presence within the formations of the “Popular Mobilization Forces”.
In the same context, the sources confirmed that the government intends to quickly begin practical steps to restrict weapons to the hands of the state, including the factions that still declare positions rejecting the American presence, most notably the Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba, which had previously announced their refusal to disarm according to the government program proposed by al-Zaidi. https://1news-iq.net/الشرق-الأوسط-اتصالات-غير-معلنة-لدمج-قو/
Iraq Requests Financial Support From The International Monetary Fund
Alsumaria NewsAn economist revealed a source close to the International Monetary Fund Iraqi officials contacted the fund for financial assistance in the aftermath of the ongoing war in the Middle East.
And it was reported Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper The source said that “initial talks took place last month during the spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank in Washington He noted that “discussions are ongoing regarding the amount of funding he wants.”Iraq and how to structure any loan”According to Reuters
The war that erupted on February 28th sent shock waves throughout the Middle East, causing widespread damage to infrastructure and economies.
Iraq was particularly hard hit, as the majority of its oil exports, which accounted for almost all of the government’s revenue, were halted due to the blockade. Strait of Hormuz Previously, about 20 percent of the world’s crude oil supply passed through it. https://www.alsumaria.tv/news/economy/564072/العراق-يطلب-دعماً-مالياً-من-صندوق-النقد-الدولي
The International Monetary Fund Comments On Reports That Iraq Has Requested Financial Assistance.
Money and Business Economy News — Baghdad The International Monetary Fund said it continues to discuss the possibility of providing financial support to countries affected by rising energy and commodity prices due to the war in the Middle East, without confirming reports that Iraq had requested financial assistance.
Reuters quoted the IMF spokeswoman, Julie Kozak, as saying during a press conference that the Fund continues to discuss potential financial assistance for member countries suffering from high energy and commodity costs, but she did not provide details on specific countries, and declined to comment on a report that Iraq had requested financial support.
Kozak added that a number of countries are asking the Fund for support in the area of economic policies and advice on how to respond to economic shocks according to the circumstances of each country.
Media reports had indicated that Iraq had requested financial assistance from the Fund as a result of the repercussions of the war in the Middle East and rising energy prices, at a time when the Fund’s Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, had previously indicated that about 12 countries might need financial support ranging between $20 billion and $50 billion.
Iraq Is Expected To Achieve A Trade Surplus Of $24 Billion In 2025.
Money and Business Economy News – Baghdad Data released by the Central Bank of Iraq on Monday showed that Iraq achieved a trade surplus of approximately $24.686 billion during 2025, driven by a higher value of exports compared to imports.
According to foreign trade data calculated on an FOB basis, total Iraqi exports during the year amounted to approximately $90.427.7 billion, compared to imports of $65.741.7 billion.
She added that exports were distributed as follows: $24.112.3 billion in the first quarter, $23.285.6 billion in the second quarter, $21.414.3 billion in the third quarter, before rising slightly to $21.615.5 billion in the fourth quarter.
In contrast, imports totaled $18.158.6 billion in the first quarter, $15.993.1 billion in the second quarter, and $16.102.0 billion in the third quarter, before declining to $15.488.0 billion in the fourth quarter, according to the data.
The data indicated that Iraqi exports exceeded imports in all quarters of the year, which reinforced the continued recording of a trade surplus.
The data was based on Free On Board, a system that calculates the value of goods when loaded onto the means of transport in the exporting country, without including shipping and insurance costs. https://www.economy-news.net/content.php?id=69218
Gold Prices Remain Stable In Baghdad Markets
Money and Business Economy News – Baghdad On Monday, the prices of Iraqi and foreign gold remained stable in the local markets of Baghdad at less than one million dinars per mithqal.
The selling price of one mithqal of 21-karat gold from the Gulf, Turkey, and Europe reached 982,000 dinars in the wholesale markets on Al-Nahr Street in Baghdad, while the buying price reached 978,000 dinars, which are the same prices that were recorded yesterday, Sunday.
One mithqal of 21-karat Iraqi gold was recorded at 952,000 dinars, while the purchase price reached 948,000 dinars.
In goldsmith shops, the selling price of a mithqal of 21-karat Gulf gold ranged between 985,000 dinars and 995,000 dinars, while the selling price of a mithqal of Iraqi gold ranged between 955,000 dinars and 965,000 dinars.
Fars News Agency: Tehran has the right to declare its sovereignty over the internet cables in the Strait.
Arabic and international Economy News – Follow-up The Iranian news agency Fars reported, in a report titled “A $10 Trillion Treasure at the Bottom of the Strait of Hormuz,” that all fiber optic cables at the bottom of the strait will be under absolute Iranian sovereignty.
The report stated that after Iran regained full control of the Strait of Hormuz in execution of its sovereign rights in its territorial waters, a new legal and technical question arises: the extent to which Iran has the legitimacy to impose its sovereignty over the fiber optic cables that pass through the bottom and under the surface of this vital passage.
According to Fars News Agency, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea grants Iran full sovereignty over the seabed and subsoil within 12 nautical miles of its coast. Given that the Strait of Hormuz is only 21 nautical miles wide, its entire waters, seabed, and airspace fall within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman.
There is not a single centimeter of free water or exclusive economic zone within the Strait of Hormuz. Therefore, Iran’s legal team argues that the fixed cables running along the seabed of the Strait of Hormuz do not fall under the concept of “transit passage” for ships and aircraft, but rather constitute permanent use of the seabed subject to Iranian permits and oversight.
According to this interpretation, every kilometer of international internet cables (Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and others) laid on the seabed of the Strait of Hormuz would require Iranian authorization, becoming subject to technical and security oversight and the payment of sovereign fees, similar to how other countries handle technology infrastructure crossing their territories.
Furthermore, Iranian legal approaches encourage consideration of additional fees for services such as navigational safety, marine environmental protection, and linking foreign maintenance companies with local workers under Iranian sovereignty.
In practical terms, the analysis published by the Fars News Agency in its report entitled: “A $10 Trillion Treasureat the Bottom of the Strait of Hormuz” indicates that Iran, as the coastal state that manages the Strait of Hormuz, can treat the submarine cables as it treats any property that touches its sovereignty, and turn this digital infrastructure into a strategic tool for economic and international negotiation, while emphasizing that any continuation of the operation of these cables requires the approval of the Iranian government and the signing of cooperation and maintenance agreements within the rules of its regulation.
