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Iraq Inaugurates Hospital for COVID-19 Patients

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at al-Ataa Hospital in Sadr City (Health Ministry)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at al-Ataa Hospital in Sadr City (Health Ministry)
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Iraq Inaugurates Hospital for COVID-19 Patients

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at al-Ataa Hospital in Sadr City (Health Ministry)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at al-Ataa Hospital in Sadr City (Health Ministry)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi inaugurated on Sunday a hospital for COVID-19 patients.

Al-Ataa hospital, located in Sadr City east of Baghdad, has been equipped and prepared by Al-Sadr Movement’s Saraya al-Salam brigades.

Kadhimi hailed the brigades’ efforts to rehabilitate the hospital, which has 325 beds, to meet the capital's medical needs as coronavirus infections continue to surge.

First Deputy Speaker Hassan al-Kaabi, who took part in the inauguration ceremony, called on the government to make serious steps and exploit all uninhabited lands and government sites by transforming them into quarantine facilities.

Kaabi, who heads the parliament’s coronavirus crisis cell, stressed the importance of ensuring that the hospital is equipped with the most developed medical devices to serve as a model for health sector support initiatives and provide a great service to treat and quarantine those infected with the COVID-19 disease.

He also revealed a draft law to consider all medical staff who die from coronavirus complications as martyrs, as an appreciation of their heroic roles in dealing with the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Minister of Planning Khalid Najem said his country has been exploring means of benefiting from India’s experience to address the coronavirus.

Following his meeting with India’s ambassador to Baghdad on Sunday, Najem’s office issued a statement indicating that both officials discussed the “possibility of providing Iraqi hospitals with Indian nursing staff, with high qualifications.”

They also discussed increasing the volume of Indian investments in Iraq in various development sectors and taking advantage of the investment opportunities available in these sectors.

In other news, the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR) warned on Saturday of a humanitarian catastrophe in detention centers and prisons in Iraq.

Thamer al-Shammari, member of the IHCHR, called on the Iraqi government and competent authorities, to urgently intervene, follow up and take the necessary preventive and health measures in all detention centers and prisons.

This comes in light of reports received by the Commission’s teams, indicating coronavirus infections among inmates.

Shammari stressed the need to address the problem of overcrowded prisons, urging relevant authorities to ensure all the preventive measures are taken to spread the outbreak.

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Lebanese Foreign Ministry Issues 2nd Summons for Iranian Ambassador

Foreign Minister Youssef Raji during the meeting in Cairo (Markaziah)
Foreign Minister Youssef Raji during the meeting in Cairo (Markaziah)
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Lebanese Foreign Ministry Issues 2nd Summons for Iranian Ambassador

Foreign Minister Youssef Raji during the meeting in Cairo (Markaziah)
Foreign Minister Youssef Raji during the meeting in Cairo (Markaziah)

Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set a new date for Iranian Ambassador Mojtaba Amani to appear after he declined an earlier summons over his controversial remarks criticizing discussions about disarming Hezbollah.

The ambassador had been scheduled to visit the ministry on Wednesday but apologized for not attending.

Foreign Minister Youssef Raji had initially summoned Amani to the ministry on Tuesday in protest over his recent statements. In Raji’s absence abroad, the ambassador was expected to receive Lebanon’s official position from the ministry’s secretary general. However, Amani did not show up, later telling Lebanon’s Al Jadeed TV that while he had received the summons, he had excused himself from attending and had yet to be informed of a new date.

He stressed that Iran “respects whatever agreement the Lebanese people reach” regarding Hezbollah’s weapons, asserting that Tehran does not impose its views on Lebanese domestic affairs.

Later in the day, Markaziah News Agency reported that the Foreign Ministry had indeed set a new appointment for Amani, although it did not disclose the date.

The controversy stems from a post Amani made last Friday on X, in which he wrote: “The disarmament project is a clear conspiracy against nations.”

He added: “We in the Islamic Republic of Iran are fully aware of the dangers of this conspiracy and the threat it poses to the security of the peoples in the region. We warn others not to fall into the trap laid by the enemies.”

Amani also stressed that maintaining deterrence capability is “the first line of defense for sovereignty and independence, and it must not be compromised.”

On Wednesday, Raji reiterated that the new Lebanese government “adheres to a clear policy aimed at asserting the state’s sovereignty over all its territory, ensuring that arms are solely in the hands of the state, and that it alone holds the authority to decide on matters of war and peace.”

He also underscored commitment to the National Pact, the Taif Agreement, and genuine power-sharing between Lebanon’s communities, saying these principles are essential for national unity and effective participation.

Speaking at the meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, Raji addressed what he called Israel’s continued aggression against Lebanon.

According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, Raji said: “The world has witnessed Lebanon’s full commitment to the ceasefire declaration. However, Israel insists on undermining the agreement and continues to violate Lebanon’s sovereignty on a daily basis.”

He reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to peaceful and diplomatic solutions, including full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and stressed that Lebanon’s legitimate security institutions, particularly the Lebanese Army, are determined to carry out their national duties.