An Iraqi official source has disclosed suspected irregularities in airport contracts that may have benefited armed groups operating outside the law.
Separately, Kataib Hezbollah accused authorities in Baghdad of selling oil at discounted prices, while an informed source said Iraq had been forced to do so because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and its lack of an oil tanker fleet.
The official source told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) on Wednesday that the Federal Commission of Integrity was scrutinizing contracts involving the Ministry of Transport and airports and had detected suspected manipulation linked to the financing of armed groups.
Some contracts had been manipulated “for the economic benefit of armed groups operating outside the law,” the source added.
The official did not identify the groups involved, explain the nature of the alleged manipulation or specify how much money was suspected of being directed to them.
The investigation comes amid growing questions about the relationship between the political influence of armed factions and their economic interests, as pressure continues on the Iraqi government to bring all weapons under state control.
The controversy over transport and airport contracts in Iraq recalls the experience of Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport, where Hezbollah’s influence within the airport’s security and administrative institutions has raised questions about the state’s ability to maintain effective oversight of vital facilities.
In Iraq, the influence of armed factions extends beyond their military presence. Groups linked to them hold political roles and positions within state institutions, while investigations into government contracts have raised questions about the extent to which these factions benefit from state resources and public spending.
Escalation Over State Control of Weapons
The disclosure of the investigation came amid escalating tensions between Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah and the government and the Coordination Framework. The group is demanding the release of a draft agreement that it says the so-called “Islamic Resistance” reached with a Framework committee on placing weapons under state control.
An account on X under the name Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, whose holder identifies himself as a security official in Kataib Hezbollah, said the armed factions were still awaiting a copy of the agreement. He added that they had suspended all military operations inside Iraq until further notice.
Baghdad authorities had not previously announced receiving a copy of any agreement concluded by the factions. However, spokespeople for Shiite parties had disclosed that the groups were negotiating with a four-member committee from the Coordination Framework to reach an agreement on their weapons.
Al-Assaf criticized the government’s performance, accusing it of making promises it had failed to fulfill.
He also questioned oil sales contracts with a regional company, asking whether Coordination Framework members approved of selling oil at discounted prices and sharing the profits.
He claimed the profits exceeded 4.5 trillion Iraqi dinars a month, without providing details or evidence to support the figure. No comment could be obtained from the country’s relevant energy authorities.
An informed political source, however, explained that Iraq was selling oil shipments at discounted prices because of “the shipping crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, the transport and transit risks borne by buyers, and the pressure facing the country because it does not have its own tanker fleet.”
The escalation followed the failure to convene a regular Coordination Framework meeting on Sunday evening because several members were absent, amid continuing disagreements over the allocation of positions and ministerial portfolios in PM Ali al-Zaidi’s government.
Political researcher Falah al-Mishal attributed Kataib Hezbollah’s escalation to several factors, including the Coordination Framework’s approval of measures to close border crossings with Iran, pressure to bring factional weapons under state control, and objections to certain government foreign policy measures.
Al-Mishal told Asharq Al-Awsat that Iraq’s efforts to develop relations with Syria and Jordan, expand ties with the Arab world and honor its agreements with the United States had led Kataib Hezbollah to feel that the Coordination Framework, once its ally, had abandoned its previous commitments and pledges.
Divisions Within the Shiite Camp
Tensions have not been confined to Kataib Hezbollah. Asaib Ahl al-Haq, led by Qais al-Khazali, also criticized armed factions refusing to surrender their weapons, without naming them.
Ahmed al-Moussawi, a senior Asaib Ahl al-Haq figure and member of parliament, told the movement’s Al-Ahd television channel that these factions would produce nothing more than “a resistance with 10 rockets.”
Al-Moussawi questioned whom the factions were resisting, adding that those refusing to surrender their weapons were attacking Asaib Ahl al-Haq but were, in his words, “not worth responding to.”
The exchange of criticism reflects widening divisions within the Shiite political camp, at a time when the Coordination Framework had been expected to consolidate its position following the completion of the government formation process.
Instead, competition over positions and ministerial portfolios, coupled with conflicting interests among its members, has reignited disputes within the alliance and raised questions about its ability to coordinate the positions of armed factions.
Despite the escalating exchanges, security and political affairs expert Fadel Abu Ragheef does not necessarily believe efforts to bring weapons under state control are losing momentum.
Abu Ragheef told Asharq Al-Awsat that the issue “remains on the table as long as there is a final deadline extending into next year.”
He added that “US statements on bringing weapons under state control are increasing pressure on the Iraqi public and putting the government in a difficult position.”
Abu Ragheef also pointed to “cooperation from some factions on this issue, including parties that had previously refused to cooperate,” but warned that the outbreak of a regional war could change the situation.
