A Turkish flight landed at Baghdad International Airport on Thursday for the first time in more than two months, after disruptions caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran and the subsequent closure of Iraqi airspace. Iraq’s Transport Ministry said the flight as part of the gradual normalization of regional air traffic.

Earlier, Baghdad International Airport director Harith Al-Obaidi told our agency that Turkish Airlines would resume flights to Baghdad starting May 14 after halting operations following the airspace closure. Baghdad airport had recovered around 90% of its operational capacity, he said, noting that Qatar Airways had also recently resumed flights. Around 20 to 21 airlines have resumed operations at Baghdad International Airport following the reopening of Iraqi airspace on April 8.

Restricting weapons to Iraqi state control has emerged as a key obstacle ahead of Thursday’s parliamentary vote on Prime Minister-designate Ali Al-Zaidi’s cabinet, as major political blocs continued unveiling ministerial nominees amid unresolved negotiations. Earlier this month, the United States Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on officials and figures allegedly tied to armed groups loyal to Iran, including leaders within Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, which Washington designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2020. Al-Zaidi is attempting to form a cabinet that avoids direct confrontation with the US position on armed factions while preserving internal balances within the Shiite ruling Coordination Framework.

• Sadiqoon Movement, the political wing of Asaib Ahl Al-Haq armed group, said Wednesday that its participation in the incoming government would depend on discussions surrounding the “file of restricting weapons according to the vision of the religious authority.”

• National Wisdom (Al-Hikma) Movement,led by Ammar Al-Hakim, announced the nomination of Faleh Al-Sari for finance minister and Safaa Al-Kinani for youth and sports minister.

• The parliamentary bloc of Taqaddum Party also revealed nominations for Mohammed Nouri Al-Karbouli as industry minister and Abdul Karim Abtan as education minister.

Iraq’s National Security Service introduced on Tuesday a new multi-role drone system designed to strengthen aerial surveillance and field intelligence operations. The unmanned platform, named “SARA 1,” is equipped with advanced monitoring and imaging systems capable of operating day and night under various weather conditions while offering high maneuverability and rapid response capabilities.

According to the agency, the drone has already undergone field deployment and demonstrated “efficiency and reliability” in executing security missions, with officials describing the launch as part of broader efforts to improve operational control and address evolving threats through modern technology.

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) launched on Tuesday, a security operation across desert areas in Najaf and Karbala in central Iraq, aimed to secure the remote region. Ali al-Hamdani, commander of Middle Euphrates operations within the PMF, noted that the operation, titled “Imposing Sovereignty,” will span more than 120 kilometers. It involves explosive ordnance disposal teams, intelligence units, and supporting formations.

Search and clearance activities extend from the al-Fajj checkpoint toward the Nukhayb district and continue to the Arar border crossing with Saudi Arabia.

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil announced on Sunday that the Kirkuk-Nineveh crude oil pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan will be operational within a month. The pipeline is located outside the Kurdistan region of Iraq and was designed with an export capacity of up to 350,000 barrels per day. However, because of the Basra-Kirkuk oil pipeline’s restricted capacity, it is now unable to reach the Kirkuk-Nineveh oil pipeline’s maximum capacity.

The Iraqi official noted that the proposed technical solution involves the strategic Basra-Haditha oil pipeline project. The Basra-Haditha oil pipeline’s capacity is projected to be approximately 2.25 million barrels per day using 56-inch diameter pipes. This design aims to enhance domestic transportation and establish connections to future export facilities.

During a cabinet meeting last month, funding of $1.5 billion was approved to start the Basra-Haditha oil pipeline in 2026, with financing provided through the Iraqi-Chinese agreement. According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the total estimated cost of the project is $5 billion. The pipeline would extend toward the Jordanian port of Aqaba and the Syrian port of Baniyas, offering direct routes to European markets through the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.

Turkiye is seeking deeper involvement in energy, infrastructure, and development projects in Iraq’s oil-rich Kirkuk province, Governor Mohammed Samaan stated on Sunday after a Turkish delegation, led by Turkish Ambassador to Iraq Anil Bora Inan, visited the city for talks with provincial authorities and business leaders. In a joint press conference, Samaan said the province was seeking to benefit from Turkish expertise in energy, agriculture, industry, tourism, and service-sector projects, including the construction of power generation stations. “We hope Turkiye leaves a clear imprint on Kirkuk’s development projects,” he emphasized, adding that the proposed cooperation would cover all areas of the province.

Kirkuk officials also met Turkish businessmen and representatives from the Kirkuk Chamber of Commerce, contractors unions, and industrial federations to discuss cooperation in development, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and tourism. Turkiye has expanded its economic presence in Iraq in recent years through trade, construction, and energy projects. According to the Turkish Contractors Association, Turkish firms have completed more than 1,100 projects in Iraq worth over $35 billion. Today’s talks come as Baghdad and Ankara also advance the proposed $17 billion Development Road project linking Iraq’s Gulf ports to Turkiye and Europe.

Kirkuk remains strategically important to Iraq’s economy due to its oil fields and export infrastructure linked to the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline connecting northern Iraq to Turkiye. Iraq resumed limited exports through the route earlier this year at an initial capacity of 250,000 barrels per day after flows were suspended in 2023.

Dozens of Iraqi farmers blocked Baghdad’s Al-Jumhuriya Bridge leading to the Green Zone on Sunday, renewing protests over unpaid agricultural dues and delayed compensation payments.

Protesters gathered in Tahrir Square before cutting off access to the bridge, demanding the release of financial entitlements linked to previous farming seasons. Last week, farmers from central and southern Iraqi provinces also staged protests, but security forces dispersed them using water cannons, injuring around 17 people. State of Law Coalition lawmaker Ibtisam Al-Hilali said that farmers subjected to the crackdown were demanding an apology from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Interior Ministry over what she described as the “falling of their agal,” a symbolic tribal affront, as well as accountability for officers involved in the incident.

US dollar exchange rates in Iraq witnessed a moderate increase on Sunday, May 10, 2026, across all major local stock exchanges. This upward trend moves the parallel market further from the official Central Bank of Iraq rate, which remains fixed at 130,000 IQD per 100 dollars.

• Baghdad - selling price 154,000 IQD - buying price 153,500 IQD.

• Basra - selling price 153,750 IQD - buying price 153,250 IQD.

• Erbil - selling price 153,500 IQD - buying price 153,250 IQD.

This reflects a growing demand for the greenback in the nation’s primary financial hub. These figures indicate a unified market movement toward higher rates across the central, southern, and northern provinces.

Iraq announced the discovery of a new oil field in Najaf province, close to the Saudi border in the country’s southwest. The field, discovered by China-based Zhenhua Oil, holds estimated reserves of 8.83 billion barrels (bbbl). Current output is reported at 3,248 barrels per day (bbl/d) of light crude oil. During a meeting with a delegation from Zhenhua Oil, Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani stated that a new oil reserve had been discovered in the al-Qarnain block. This block was awarded to the Chinese company under Iraq’s fifth supplementary and sixth licensing rounds.

The Al-Qarnain block lies in southwestern Iraq along the border with Saudi Arabia. Spanning 8,773 square kilometers, it is regarded as a highly promising area for oil exploration. The vast size of the area points to significant potential for additional reserves, opening the door to further exploration opportunities in the years ahead.

Zhenhua Oil, a state-owned enterprise under China’s Norinco Group, has been expanding its footprint in Iraq’s energy sector. The company now holds exploration rights to both the Al-Qarnain and Abu Khema blocks, underscoring its rising strategic importance in Iraq’s upstream oil industry.

The premier-designate is bound by the Iraqi constitution to present his cabinet within 30 days of his appointment as prime minister-designate on April 27.

 Iraq’s parliament is ready for a vote of confidence on the next cabinet, a parliament official said Saturday, adding that the session will most likely take place Monday or Tuesday after all the political leaders have been invited. Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi on Thursday released his program for the upcoming cabinet and delivered it to parliament speaker Haibat al-Halbousi. “The Council of Representatives [parliament] has completed all preparations for holding the session to vote on the cabinet,” Safwan Bashir Younis al-Gargari, Secretary-General of the parliament, told state media. “We are waiting for the Speaker of Parliament to set a date for the session, whether it will be on Monday or Tuesday,” he added.

 The premier-designate is bound by the Iraqi constitution to present his cabinet within 30 days of his appointment as prime minister-designate on April 27. Zaidi was named as the ruling Shiite Coordination Framework’s candidate to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, after months of discord between the bloc’s leaders, and a veto on former premier Nouri al-Maliki by the US after he was nominated for the top post.

Iraq’s crude oil exports to the United States dropped 119,000 barrels per day (bpd) last week, US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed on Sunday. Iraqi shipments averaged 76,000 bpd last week, 61% less than the previous week’s average of 195,000 bpd.

Total US crude imports from nine major suppliers fell 170,000 bpd from 5.066 million bpd the previous week.

• Canada remained the top supplier at 3.268 million bpd,

• Venezuela with 400,000 bpd,

• Colombia with 348,000 bpd,

• Saudi Arabia with 332,000 bpd,

• Mexico with 327,000 bpd.

• Ecuador at 165,000 bpd,

• Nigeria at 93,000 bpd,

• Brazil at 27,000 bpd.

• Libya: No oil was imported this week.

The Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (PDKI) says Iran launched drone strikes on a camp belonging to the group in northern Iraq on Wednesday evening, the second attack on the group’s facilities in a single day.

The PDKI said that three drones struck the Zewi Aspi base, while earlier on Wednesday, two drones targeted the Girde Chal camp, a residential compound housing the relatives of PDKI members near Erbil in the Kurdish region of Iraq.

When Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in late February, Iraq became one of the most exposed economies on the planet. The country routes roughly 95 percent of its oil exports through the waterway, and unlike its Gulf neighbors, it has no meaningful alternative such as a Mediterranean pipeline, Red Sea outlet, or an overland corridor capable of absorbing industrial volumes.

Seaborne exports fell to 131,000 barrels per day in April, a 96 percent collapse compared with April 2025. At the port of Basra, which under normal conditions handles up to 80 tankers per month, vessel-tracking data showed only 2 vessels loaded cargo in April, down from 12 in March. Since the latest escalation began, just three Iraqi crude tankers have managed to exit the strait, leaving 43 million barrels of Iraqi crude stranded on vessels west of the waterway, part of a broader Gulf-wide stockpile of 163 million barrels with nowhere to go.

A recent phone call between Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reflects deepening American engagement with Iraq’s incoming government at a time of heightened regional tension and growing pressure on Iran-aligned armed factions. According to official statements, the discussion focused on bilateral security cooperation under the U.S.–Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement, particularly military training and strengthening Iraqi armed forces capabilities.

Click Here for Interactive Incident map of Iraq

• Disarmament dispute shadows Al-Zaidi cabinet vote as blocs unveil nominees

• Iraq unveils new “SARA 1” multi-role drone system

• PMF initiates operation “Imposing Sovereignty” across Iraqi deserts

• Iraq to activate Kirkuk-Nineveh pipeline within month

• Turkiye pushes deeper economic role in Iraq’s Kirkuk

• Iraqi farmers return to Baghdad streets over unpaid compensation

• Iraq dollar rates rise across Baghdad, Erbil, and Basra

• Iraq Announces New Oil Discovery at Al-Qarnain Block

• Iraq to hold confidence vote session either Monday or Tuesday: Parliament official

• Iraq’s oil exports to US fall over the week

• Kurdish group’s camp hit by drones in northern Iraq

• Iraq's oil lifeline is blocked: Here is why the crisis runs deeper than Hormuz

• US SECDEF Holds Phone Call with Iraq’s Prime Minister Designate