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Iraqi FM Warns from Tehran Against Military Threats in Iraq, Kurdistan

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, receives his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein in Tehran (AP)
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, receives his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein in Tehran (AP)
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Iraqi FM Warns from Tehran Against Military Threats in Iraq, Kurdistan

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, receives his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein in Tehran (AP)
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, receives his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein in Tehran (AP)

Iraq's Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, has denounced threats of military actions or bombings against Iraq or the Kurdistan region.

Iraq says it has moved to disarm Iranian Kurdish opposition groups and has begun moving them away from the country's border with Iran.

In a press conference with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Hussein confirmed the start of the disarmament of Iranian Kurdish factions.

He indicated it was unreasonable to have excellent relations between the two countries while Iraqi sovereignty and Iraqi Kurdistan are threatened by bombing or launching a military campaign.

Hussein urged the Iranian government to steer clear of such aggressive measures, suggesting resorting to dialogue and security agreements to resolve issues through negotiations. He highlighted the Iraqi constitution, which prohibits any group from using its territory to attack another country.

The minister elaborated that "security cooperation between Iraq and Iran hinges on adhering to the constitution." He stated that disarmament efforts have been carried out on groups along the Iraq-Iran border, and refugee camps have been established under the protection of the UN refugee agency.

Hussein emphasized that the plan and its implementation were a collaborative effort between the central Iraqi and Kurdistan regional governments.

The top diplomat pointed out that Iraq and Iran enjoy good relations, hoping they could resolve issues through dialogue. He invited Iranian media to visit the Kurdistan region to observe the security agreement's implementation, revealing that the plan's execution will conclude in two days.

For his part, the Iranian FM hoped that Iraq would fulfill the terms of the security agreement in the coming days.

He accentuated Iran's commitment to its security and expressed satisfaction in hearing "positive updates from the Iraqi side."

Amir-Abdollahian remained optimistic that these updates would translate to concrete actions in the immediate future, reiterating that the “terrorist region” must be eradicated under the current agreement to uphold the esteemed history of Iraq-Iran relations.

State agency IRNA cited Amir-Abdollahian as acknowledging Iraq's significant position in Iranian foreign policy, emphasizing the exemplary relations and close collaboration between the neighboring nations.

Additionally, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ground forces have reportedly stationed artillery and tanks on the border with Iraq's Kurdistan region, according to Tasnim news agency.

Hussein's visit comes ahead of Iran's September 19th deadline for the Kurdistan regional government to act against Kurdish factions opposing Tehran.

Tasnim said the troops' deployment is to maintain combat readiness and ensure the security of the northwestern borders.

The agency reported an informed source that indicated the removal of bases of separatist groups in Iraq's Kurdistan region began hours ago.

The report detailed plans to remove all party bases, including the Kurdish Freedom Party, PJAK, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party from the areas near Iran's border.

The factions are set to be relocated deeper inside Kurdistan's territory.

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Arab World

US Resumed Cash Shipments to Baghdad, Says Iraq Govt Spokesperson

An Iraqi man walks past shops in the Jamila food market in Sadr City, east Baghdad on April 13, 2026. (AFP)
An Iraqi man walks past shops in the Jamila food market in Sadr City, east Baghdad on April 13, 2026. (AFP)
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US Resumed Cash Shipments to Baghdad, Says Iraq Govt Spokesperson

An Iraqi man walks past shops in the Jamila food market in Sadr City, east Baghdad on April 13, 2026. (AFP)
An Iraqi man walks past shops in the Jamila food market in Sadr City, east Baghdad on April 13, 2026. (AFP)

The United States has resumed cash shipments to Iraq after a delay, signaling its support for Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's administration, with the premier expected in Washington later this month, a government spokesperson said Thursday.

Iraq's revenues from oil exports are largely held at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York, under an arrangement reached after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled former ruler Saddam Hussein.

Under the system, payments for oil are made into dollar-denominated accounts in the US which are then either used to pay for imports or flow to Iraq as cash.

Earlier this year, Washington suspended the cash transfers to Iraq as it piled pressure on Baghdad to disarm Iran-backed armed groups, which launched hundreds of attacks on US facilities in Iraq during the Middle East war.

Iraqi officials downplayed the issues, saying the dollar shipments had ceased due to the closure of airspace and the security situation.

Government spokesperson Haidar al-Aboudi told AFP that cash "shipments have resumed some time ago".

"The resumption is a positive indicator" ahead of Zaidi's visit to Washington, Aboudi said, adding "we look at it through the lens of cooperation, coordination, and partnership."

Aboudi said that Zaidi's top priority in Washington would be "the economic partnership with the United States".

In May, a senior US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US was looking for "concrete actions" from Zaidi to distance the state from pro-Iran armed groups before resuming cash shipments and security aid to the country.

Zaidi, who only recently took office with the blessing of the United States, has vowed to ensure a state monopoly on weapons and urged armed groups to hand over their weapons to the state.

During his visit to Washington, the first since he took office in April, Zaidi hopes to attract more US investment to Iraq, which urgently needs to revive its economy, especially after revenue losses caused by the halt of oil exports during the Middle East war.

Iraq, a founding member of OPEC, was greatly affected by the war.

It is hugely dependent on oil exports, which make up about 90 percent of its budget revenues, while the vast majority of its crude travels via the Strait of Hormuz.

Arab World

Algeria's Sonatrach Says Incident Occurred at Arzew Refinery, Brought Under Control

FILE PHOTO: The logo of the state energy company Sonatrach is pictured at the headquarters in Algiers, Algeria November 25, 2019. REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of the state energy company Sonatrach is pictured at the headquarters in Algiers, Algeria November 25, 2019. REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina/File Photo
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Algeria's Sonatrach Says Incident Occurred at Arzew Refinery, Brought Under Control

FILE PHOTO: The logo of the state energy company Sonatrach is pictured at the headquarters in Algiers, Algeria November 25, 2019. REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of the state energy company Sonatrach is pictured at the headquarters in Algiers, Algeria November 25, 2019. REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina/File Photo

Algeria's state-owned energy company Sonatrach said an incident occurred at 2:30 a.m. local time (0130 GMT) on Thursday at the Arzew refinery, which was brought under control with no injuries or fatalities reported.

Sonatrach said fuel and lubricant production was not affected and supplies to the domestic market from the refinery continue uninterrupted, adding that it has launched an investigation into the cause of the incident.

Arab World

Palestinian Legislative Vote Set for Nov 28: Presidential Decree

A Palestinian man votes during the municipal election at a polling station in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
A Palestinian man votes during the municipal election at a polling station in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
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Palestinian Legislative Vote Set for Nov 28: Presidential Decree

A Palestinian man votes during the municipal election at a polling station in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
A Palestinian man votes during the municipal election at a polling station in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree on Thursday setting legislative elections for November 28, which if they take place, would mark the first such vote in two decades.

The last legislative elections in the Palestinian territories were held in 2006, when Hamas won, defeating Abbas's Fatah party, which had previously dominated Palestinian politics.

As a result, the Palestinian Legislative Council, which is the parliament of Abbas's Palestinian Authority, has not met since 2007.

"The presidential decree calls on the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to participate in free and direct legislative elections to elect members of the Palestinian Legislative Council on the date specified," the official Wafa news agency reported, citing the decree, AFP reported.

Holding elections is part of the reforms demanded by the international community, including the European Union, which supports the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority financially.

Abbas, 90, won the last Palestinian presidential election in 2005 with a mandate of four years, meaning his term should have expired in 2009.

However his term was extended and no presidential election has been held since, with Abbas ruling by presidential decree, facing criticism at home and abroad.

Ghassan Khatib, a political science professor at Birzeit University, said he believed Abbas was now serious about holding elections for both domestic and international reasons.

"There is a feeling among everyone that Palestinian legitimacy has eroded because of how long it has been since elections were held," Khatib told AFP, describing a "gap between the public and the leadership and a need to 'renew the blood'" at the top.

"The absence of a legislative council for such a long time has caused significant damage to the political system," he added.

The PA has faced widespread criticism over corruption, stagnation and declining legitimacy, with donors increasingly tying their financial and diplomatic support to reform, particularly of local governance.

In 2021, Abbas announced legislative and presidential elections to be held in May and July of that year respectively.

They were then postponed indefinitely due to the absence of guarantees that voting could take place in Israel-annexed east Jerusalem.

In April, Palestinians went to the polls to elect municipal council heads in the occupied West Bank, in the first vote since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Khatib said the main obstacle for elections would be logistical challenges arising from Israeli measures in the Gaza Strip, as well as in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.

Under the October 2025 US-brokered ceasefire, a technocratic committee has been formed to govern Gaza, but it has yet to enter the Palestinian territory.

Khatib added that the international community had a responsibility to "pressure Israel to provide an appropriate environment, or at least to refrain from measures that would hinder these elections".

"Israel seeks to rid itself of the Palestinian Authority, and since elections would restore strength and legitimacy to the Authority, this runs counter to what Israel is aiming for," he said.

He added that he expected Israel "to obstruct the holding of these elections in various ways".

In June, Abbas announced that presidential elections would be held in early 2027, without saying if he would run.

Khatib said he doubted the legislative elections would produce major political change, and considered it unlikely that Fatah's rival Hamas would achieve significant gains.