Iraqi Army Concludes ‘Will of Victory’ Operation against ISIS

A member of Iraqi Federal Police waves an Iraqi flag as they celebrate the victory of military operations against ISIS in West Mosul, Iraq July 2, 2017. REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File Photo
A member of Iraqi Federal Police waves an Iraqi flag as they celebrate the victory of military operations against ISIS in West Mosul, Iraq July 2, 2017. REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File Photo
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Iraqi Army Concludes ‘Will of Victory’ Operation against ISIS

A member of Iraqi Federal Police waves an Iraqi flag as they celebrate the victory of military operations against ISIS in West Mosul, Iraq July 2, 2017. REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File Photo
A member of Iraqi Federal Police waves an Iraqi flag as they celebrate the victory of military operations against ISIS in West Mosul, Iraq July 2, 2017. REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File Photo

The Iraqi Army has concluded the operation dubbed as the ‘Will of Victory’, which was launched starting this week by Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi against ISIS in three provinces.

This operation coincided with the 3rd anniversary of liberating Mosul on July 10 in 2017, which represented the key to military elimination of the group at the end of this year.

In this context, Iraq's National Wisdom Movement Leader Ammar al-Hakim has called for putting a comprehensive political, security and community strategy to maintain the victory.

In a statement issued Thursday, Hakim stressed that this historic achievement should be retained via setting a comprehensive strategy, especially in the liberated regions. He called on the Iraqi government and the parliament to exploit this occasion to reconstruct liberated cities and march towards development.

The Joint Operations Command announced Thursday that the first phase of the ‘Will of Victory’ has been completed. Deputy of Army Chief of Staff for Operations Abdul Amir Rasheed Yarallah revealed in a statement that the military sectors participating in the operation managed to achieve the determined goals.

During a press conference on Thursday, Member of Iraq's parliamentary Security and Defense Committee Nayef al-Shammari said that the committee held a meeting with the Iraqi PM.

The meeting tackled the operation as well as the necessity of reinforcing it.

While Mahdi promised to follow up the situation, Shammari highlighted the necessity of monitoring the Iraqi-Syrian border, especially that some ISIS members fled the battle to the Syrian side.

Further, security expert Fadel Abu Raghef told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the operation notably witnessed the participation of three commands. This operation wouldn’t have been yielding if it hadn't been exceptional because ISIS lives in an amebic manner – every time you divide it, the division comes back to life on its own.



Iraq Holds Kurdish Government Legally Responsible for Continued Oil Smuggling

Kurdish protesters block the road in front of trucks carrying oil in the Arbat area near Sulaymaniyah, Iraq February 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed/File Photo
Kurdish protesters block the road in front of trucks carrying oil in the Arbat area near Sulaymaniyah, Iraq February 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed/File Photo
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Iraq Holds Kurdish Government Legally Responsible for Continued Oil Smuggling

Kurdish protesters block the road in front of trucks carrying oil in the Arbat area near Sulaymaniyah, Iraq February 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed/File Photo
Kurdish protesters block the road in front of trucks carrying oil in the Arbat area near Sulaymaniyah, Iraq February 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed/File Photo

Iraq's oil ministry said on Thursday it holds the Kurdish regional government (KRG) legally responsible for the continued smuggling of oil from the Kurdish region outside the country.

The ministry reserves the right to take all legal measures in the matter, it added.

Control over oil and gas has long been a source of tension between Baghdad and Erbil, Reuters reported.

Iraq is under pressure from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to cut output to compensate for having produced more than its agreed volume. OPEC counts oil flows from Kurdistan as part of Iraq's quota.

In a ruling issued in 2022, Iraq's federal court deemed an oil and gas law regulating the oil industry in Iraqi Kurdistan unconstitutional and demanded that Kurdish authorities hand over their crude oil supplies.

The ministry said the KRG’s failure to comply with the law has hurt both oil exports and public revenue, forcing Baghdad to cut output from other fields to meet OPEC quotas.

The ministry added that it had urged the KRG to hand over crude produced from its fields, warning that failure to do so could result in significant financial losses and harm the country’s international reputation and oil commitments.

Negotiations to resume Kurdish oil exports via the Iraq-Türkiye oil pipeline, which once handled about 0.5% of global oil supply, have stalled over payment terms and contract details.