Tishwash: Iraq signs a contract with Qatar to lay a fiber optic cable linking Singapore to Italythrough its territory.
The Ministry of Communications announced on Tuesday the signing of a contract with Qatar to lay a terrestrial and submarine fiber optic cable across Iraqi territory.
The ministry stated in a press release received by Mawazin News that “the project is a terrestrial and submarine fiber optic cable across Iraqi territory connecting Singapore to Italy, through the telecommunications network of the Qatari company Ooredoo.” link
Tishwash: Iraq opens investment doors to Lebanese companies
The National Investment Commission discussed on Tuesday with Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade Amer Al-Bassat ways to enhance economic and investment cooperation between the two countries, while the two sides agreed to form a joint committee to study investment opportunities and identify priority sectors.
The commission said in a statement received by Al-Sa’a Network that “its chairman, Adel Al-Yassiri, received Al-Basat and his accompanying delegation to discuss prospects for developing economic relations and strengthening the partnership between the private sector in the two countries, in a way that contributes to attracting Lebanese investments to the Iraqi market.”
She added that “the meeting reviewed a number of investment opportunities available in Iraq, particularly in the health, agriculture, industry and tourism sectors, as well as discussing the possibility of establishing joint projects that benefit from the expertise and capabilities available in both countries.”
Al-Yassiri stressed the importance of expanding the presence of Lebanese companies and investors in Iraq, and taking advantage of the opportunities available in the productive and service sectors, pointing to “the possibility of cooperation in establishing and developing health institutions, and benefiting from Lebanese medical and administrative expertise, in addition to establishing agricultural, industrial and tourism projects that contribute to supporting development and expanding local production.”
The authority added that “the two sides agreed to form a joint committee to coordinate visions, exchange investment proposals, study available opportunities, and identify priority sectors, with the aim of transforming the meeting’s outcomes into implementable cooperation projects and initiatives, and strengthening sustainable economic partnerships between the two countries.ink
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Tishwash: Fitch affirms Iraq’s rating and forecasts its economy will contract by 9% in 2026
Fitch Ratings affirmed Iraq’s long-term sovereign credit rating at ‘B-‘ with a stable outlook, forecasting a 9% contraction in the economy during 2026 before a rebound to 17.7% growth in 2027 as oil production recovers.
The agency attributed the pressure on the rating to Iraq’s heavy reliance on oil, weak governance, political risks, and limited flexibility in public spending, offset by support from foreign reserves, government deposits, and low interest payments.
Fitch projected oil production to average 4.4 million barrels per day in 2027, compared to 4.6 million in 2028, while anticipating the budget deficit to widen to 6.5% of GDP in 2026 before declining to 0.5% the following year.
The agency also noted a decline in foreign exchange reserves to $81 billion by the end of October and projected inflation to fall to 3% in 2027. Iraq’s talks with the International Monetary Fund regarding the Extended Fund Facility are still in their early stages. link
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Tishwash: To reduce bureaucracy, the Minister of Finance places automation and digital transformation at the top of his priorities.
Finance Minister Faleh Al-Sari met today, Monday (November 9, 2026), with the directors of banks and companies affiliated with the ministry, to follow up on progress in institutional development such as automation and digital transformation. The minister stressed that these represent a priority in the ministry’s work, and emphasized the need to expedite their implementation.
The Ministry of Finance’s media office stated in a statement received by 964 Network that “Minister of Finance Mr. Faleh Sari chaired a meeting today, Monday, which included the directors of banks and companies affiliated with the ministry, to follow up on the progress of work and to assess the levels of progress in implementing reform and institutional development programs.”
He added that “during the meeting, reform projects in the financial and banking sectors were reviewed, and the measures taken to improve performance and enhance the efficiency of the institutions affiliated with the ministry were discussed.”
The minister affirmed, according to the statement, that “automation and digital transformation are a priority in the ministry’s work, and stressed the need to expedite their implementation in the ministry’s institutions according to the specified timelines, in order to contribute to raising performance efficiency, reducing bureaucratic procedures, and enhancing transparency.” link
Tishwash: Iraqi-American talks to activate the outcomes of the Washington visit
On Sunday, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs, Mohsen al-Mandalawi, met with the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Mission to Iraq, Steven Fagin, to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation and develop the strategic partnership between Baghdad and Washington, in order to serve common interests and open up broader horizons for cooperation in various fields.
The media office of Al-Mandalawi said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that the meeting witnessed a follow-up on the outcomes of the bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding signed between Baghdad and Washington during the official visit of Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi to the United States, with an emphasis on the importance of turning these agreements into concrete action steps that contribute to strengthening economic development and building a partnership based on common interests and mutual respect.
Al-Mandalawi stressed Iraq’s keenness to build strong investment and economic partnerships that contribute to the transfer of modern technology and attract capital to develop oil and gas fields, noting that the government is continuing to provide the necessary contributions and facilities to American companies wishing to invest and work within the country within the general direction of enhancing energy security and achieving self-sufficiency.
For his part, Stephen Fagin expressed the United States’ commitment to supporting Iraq’s economic aspirations and deepening cooperation in the energy sector, stressing the interest of American companies in investing and working on promising Iraqi projects and supporting comprehensive development efforts.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi visited the United States from July 13 to 17, 2026, during which 48 agreements , memoranda of understanding, and partnership declarations were signed between Iraqi and American institutions in the oil, energy, electricity, industry, technology, communications, finance, agriculture, education, and health sectors, with a declared value exceeding $60 billion. link
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Tishwash: Trump told al-Zaidi: Negotiations are not enough… Arrest the factions if they engage in war – Report
Even today, details of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s call with US President Donald Trump are still being revealed. After talk of warnings about the factions returning to the policy of “unity of the battlefields,” informed sources told the Baghdad newspaper Al-Mada that al-Zaidi received a clear message during the call stating the need to move from pledges and negotiations with the factions to action and taking practical measures, indicating that al-Zaidi may find no option but to arrest the factions if they engage in war alongside Iran, or to let Washington take on this task itself.
The sources also say that al-Zaydi conveyed this position to his allies during the Coordination Framework meeting, stressing that the factions would be arrested if they participated in the war. This was in response to a proposal by Qais al-Khazali, the leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, regarding the possibility of the factions entering the confrontation if the war were to last a long time. Meanwhile, Humam Hamoudi objected, warning that carrying out the arrests could lead to the downfall of the government and the Coordination Framework together.
During the same meeting, Al-Zaydi revealed that he had seen part of the leaked war plan presented to US President Donald Trump, which includes scenarios, most notably the entry of US forces through Iraqi territory towards southern Iran. In parallel, international pressure is mounting on Baghdad to end the weapons issue, as Washington, according to sources, no longer accepts prolonging the negotiations and demands a clear and time-bound handover plan, while the factions insist on refusing to give up their weapons in light of the possibility of war, considering it an internal political guarantee for them.
STATEMENT
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is left with only two options: arrest the armed factions if they decide to engage in any war alongside Iran, or let Washington handle the matter itself. According to sources close to the government palace, this is the possibility that has resurfaced following the recent phone call between al-Zaidi and Donald Trump, during which the US issued warnings against Iraq being drawn into the war.
In that call, which took place last Thursday, it appeared that Washington was no longer satisfied with Iraqi pledges regarding controlling the militias’ weapons. Informed sources say that al-Zaidi received a clear message that he must take action, not merely manage the negotiations.
According to the same sources, he had conveyed this position to his Shiite allies during the last meeting of the coordination framework, when he spoke about arresting the factions if they participated in the war alongside Iran.
This comes as al-Zaydi faces one of his most delicate political tests since assuming the premiership. The likelihood of a US-Iranian confrontation is escalating, and factions that were supposedly close to surrendering their weapons have backtracked on this course of action in the last two weeks.
In Baghdad, officials, including Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, are not treating war as a remote possibility. Political sources say that Washington and Tehran could use Iraqi territory as a launching pad for an attack or retaliation.
“We will hand over the weapons if a truce is reached.”
But the problem facing al-Zaydi is not limited to the possibility of the factions joining the war. The months-long negotiations regarding weapons have yet to produce a clear agreement on what surrender means, or on which parties are prepared to implement it. According to informed sources, the factions are unwilling to relinquish their weapons, and the position of the coordinating framework itself does not appear unified or clear on this issue.
The sources exclude Shibl al-Zaidi, commander of the Imam Ali Brigades, describing him as the only figure who has, according to them, shown a genuine intention to surrender weapons. As for the government’s claims that four factions have surrendered their weapons or are close to doing so, the sources say these claims do not reflect the reality on the ground.
Even those parties that participated in the government, according to sources, are still setting conditions that make the handover more of a formal reshuffling than a genuine relinquishment of armed force. The disagreements include severing organizational ties, objecting to the brigade structure, changing battalion commanders, redeploying fighters, and then reconstituting the brigades and battalions. These are details that appear to be not merely administrative; they touch upon the nature of control over these formations and who holds the power to make decisions regarding them.
Another point of contention concerns the fate of the weapons themselves. Weapons ostensibly intended to deter any foreign intervention might be returned to Iran or given to another faction, but those weapons that serve as a political guarantee for the factions remain outside any actual handover. Sources say that the negotiations have also been marred by manipulation of details and procedural formalities that fail to resolve the issue of transferring control to the state.
She adds that two of the most prominent Shiite leaders on the negotiating committee exploited their positions to gain political advantage and impose their vision on the course of the talks. According to this account, after the committee became an arena of competition among its members, the factions moved to bypass it and negotiate individually, either separately or through direct channels with the Prime Minister and the Coordination Framework, including Abu Ala al-Walai and Haider al-Gharawi.
In one of those attempts, Abu Alaa Al-Walai conveyed to Al-Zaydi a position summarizing the factions’ calculations in light of the approaching war: “We are in a state of war and we are waiting. If a truce is reached, we will hand over the weapons to you in boxes, and you can take the weapons as you wish. But if war breaks out, your request is not feasible.”
This was before al-Zaidi contacted Trump. This stance appears to have complicated the negotiations, as the factions offered a settlement postponed until after the war, while Washington wanted concrete steps before the security and political conditions in the region changed.
Framework meeting: Arrest on the table
At the latest meeting of the coordination framework, al-Zaydi not only expressed his concerns about the stalled negotiations but also engaged in a direct confrontation with some coalition leaders. According to sources familiar with the details of the meeting, the prime minister interrupted one of the speakers, stating that the factions would be arrested if they fought alongside Iran.
This came in response to a position put forward by Qais al-Khazali, the leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, stating that the factions might get involved in the war if the confrontation with Iran lasts a long time, but they will not intervene if the war is limited, like the 12-day war.
Humam Hamoudi objected to al-Zaydi’s remarks, warning that implementing such a course of action could lead to the downfall of both the government and the coordination framework. At the same meeting, Abu Ala al-Walai criticized the government’s decision to close border crossings and airports with Iran, arguing that the current measures exceeded those taken by the government of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani during the 40-day war, when no border crossings or airports were closed.
Al-Zaidi stated that Washington had requested the closure of all border crossings with Iran except for two, a claim later confirmed by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.
At the same meeting, al-Zaidi spoke of having seen part of a leaked war plan presented to US President Donald Trump, which included three scenarios. One of them, according to what he reported, was the entry of US forces through Iraq to invade southern Iran, in exchange for the possibility that the Islamic Republic would pressure Iraq to invade Kuwait from Iraqi territory.
Agreement on organization, not surrender
During the meeting, al-Zaydi did not hide his dissatisfaction with the performance of the coordination framework and the four-member committee tasked with reaching an understanding with the factions. He stated that the factions had been more honest in their approach than the committee, citing what he had heard from Haider al-Gharawi, the leader of “Ansar Allah al-Awfiya,” in a previous meeting, namely that the signed agreement aimed to regulate weapons, not surrender them.
In discussing the negotiation process, al-Zaydi revealed that he had met with Iranian advisors who stated that the four factions had no qualms about publicly declaring their weapons organized and were prepared to store them in warehouses whose keys would remain in the hands of the Prime Minister. However, this proposal did not resolve the dispute over who actually possessed the weapons, nor the difference between storing them and surrendering them to the state.
The Prime Minister stated that international pressure on Baghdad is mounting, and that international parties are no longer satisfied with mere promises and intentions, but are demanding a well-defined action plan, bound by a timetable, that includes concrete steps and clear criteria for monitoring implementation. He added that Washington is expressing considerable displeasure at the slow pace and is pressing for the handover plan to be prepared without delay, placing the final stage of the process at the forefront of its priorities.
But the factions, according to the sources, are dealing with these demands with a different logic, which is no final surrender at a time when war is looming, and no giving up on the weapons that represent an internal political guarantee.
The clash with the brigades is spreading to the institutions.
In parallel with the arms crisis, al-Zaydi entered into an escalating confrontation with the Kataib Hezbollah, after details emerged about the group’s infiltration of government institutions and facilities.
Informed sources say that the Prime Minister is no longer facing objections only to his decisions regarding weapons, but his decisions now affect economic, security and administrative positions of influence that the brigades have accumulated over the past years.
The confrontation began to unfold with the leak of information about the removal of the brigades from the Military Industrialization Authority, which al-Zaydi had visited a few days earlier. This was followed by decisions to terminate the operations of companies linked to the group at Mosul Airport, before further leaks revealed the thwarting of their ambitions to expand within border crossings and certain key positions in the intelligence apparatus.
According to sources, the factions had gained influence in managing the border crossings after they were liberated from ISIS in 2018. Some armed groups also had private lounges in Iraqi airports that were not subject to the usual inspection procedures.
The brigades responded to al-Zaydi’s decisions by questioning the source of his wealth, in a second such attack in less than a week. Sources close to the government interpret this escalation as a response to attempts to curb the group’s expansion within state institutions, and not merely a passing political dispute.
On Saturday evening, al-Zaydi decided to travel to Sadr City, a stronghold of the Sadr movement, a move sources linked to escalating tensions with the Kataib Hezbollah militia. This visit brings to the forefront previous warnings from Muqtada al-Sadr, the movement’s leader, in which he described a group calling themselves “the resistance” as “mercenaries.”
This term has resurfaced with recent government decisions against companies linked to the brigades. link