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Widespread Anger in Iraq after Decision to Raise Fuel Prices

Traffic congestion in the center of the Iraqi capital (AFP)
Traffic congestion in the center of the Iraqi capital (AFP)
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Widespread Anger in Iraq after Decision to Raise Fuel Prices

Traffic congestion in the center of the Iraqi capital (AFP)
Traffic congestion in the center of the Iraqi capital (AFP)

Signs of a massive wave of anger are looming in Iraq as a result of the decision to increase the prices of car fuel, which was approved by the Council of Ministers on Tuesday.
Although Iraqis felt relative satisfaction by the government of Mohammad Shiaa al-Sudani during the past year, especially after it employed more than 800,000 persons in the public sector, the spike in car fuel prices triggered dismay among them.
The government increased the cost of premium gasoline (95 octane) from 650 Iraqi dinars ($0.50) to 850 Iraqi dinars ($0.65) per liter. The price of super gasoline (98 octane) will rise from 1,000 to 1,250 dinars, while the regular gasoline (low octane) will remain at 450 dinars. The cabinet said that the new rates would take effect on May 1.
Popular anger often causes a decline in the prime minister's electoral chances. This means that Sudani might go back on his decision to increase the price of fuel, or face its possible repercussions, according to observers.
In contrast to the explanations provided by the government for increasing fuel prices to contribute to eliminating severe traffic congestion in Baghdad, experts said that the decision came in the wake of the losses incurred by the state as a result of subsidizing fuel prices, in addition to pressures exerted by international financial institutions.
In a post on Facebook, Researcher Salim Souza said that the “increase in gasoline prices in Iraq (and perhaps soon an increase in the prices of water, electricity, sewage, and other services bills, as I have heard) has local, internal and external reasons related to international monetary requirements, the size of debt, and global aid to Iraq.”
Al-Sudani had announced earlier this year that Iraq would stop fuel imports in mid-2025 after completing the construction of refineries in Baiji and Karbala and their production reaching its maximum capacity.
In January 2024, Iraq advanced globally to become the 13th country with the most affordable gasoline prices, according to data from the Global Petroleum Press website.

 

 

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Israel Pounds Southern Lebanon and Beirut Outskirts, Killing Five Medics

Fire and smoke erupt from a building just after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern Chiyah neighborhood on November 22, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Fire and smoke erupt from a building just after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern Chiyah neighborhood on November 22, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
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Israel Pounds Southern Lebanon and Beirut Outskirts, Killing Five Medics

Fire and smoke erupt from a building just after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern Chiyah neighborhood on November 22, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Fire and smoke erupt from a building just after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern Chiyah neighborhood on November 22, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)

Israeli forces pounded southern Lebanon and the outskirts of the capital Beirut on Friday, killing at least five medics, and ground troops clashed with Hezbollah fighters in the south.

Israel has pushed on with its intense military campaign against the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah, tempering hopes that efforts by a US envoy will lead to an imminent ceasefire.

US mediator Amos Hochstein said this week in Beirut that a truce was "within our grasp". He travelled on to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz before returning to Washington, the news outlet Axios said.

His trip was aimed at ending more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah along Lebanon's southern border, which escalated when Israel ramped up its strikes in late September and sent ground troops into Lebanon on Oct. 1.

Israeli troops have fought Hezbollah in a strip of towns along the border and this week pushed deeper to the edges of Khiyam, a town some six km (four miles) from the border.

Hezbollah said it had fired rockets at Israeli troops east of Khiyam at least four times on Friday. Lebanese security sources told Reuters Israeli troops had also advanced in a string of villages to the west. They said Israel was most likely trying to isolate Khiyam before attacking the town.

Four Italian soldiers were lightly injured after two rockets exploded at a UNIFIL peacekeeping force base in southern Lebanon, a spokesperson for UNIFIL said on Friday.

Italian sources said an investigation was under way. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told Italian media that Hezbollah might be responsible for the attack.

Israeli strikes on two other villages in southern Lebanon killed five medics from a rescue force affiliated with Hezbollah, the Lebanese health ministry said.

The more than 3,500 people killed by Israeli strikes over the last year include more than 200 medics, the health ministry said.

EVACUATION WARNINGS AND STRIKES

Israel says its aim is to secure the return home of tens of thousands of people evacuated from Israel's north because of rocket attacks by Hezbollah, which began firing across the border in support of Hamas at the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.

Israel also mounted more strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, a once densely populated stronghold of Hezbollah.

Abeer Darwich, a resident of a building that was hit in Beirut southern suburbs on Friday, had to leave her apartment immediately after an evacuation warning from Israel's military.

She stood watching while an Israeli strike pounded the high rise building into dust.

"Do you know that most of the apartments' owners took credit to buy those houses? Life savings are gone, memories and safety ... which Israel decided to steal from us," Darwich said .

Evacuation orders were issued on X for several buildings in the area on Friday. Reuters footage showed one of the strikes appearing to pierce the center of a multi-storey building, which toppled in a cloud of smoke.