Iraq closes Green Zone as corruption arrests target lawmakers

Shafaq New- Baghdad

Iraqi security forces on Sunday sealed off Baghdad's fortified Green Zone and arrested more than eight people, including members of parliament, during a sweeping operation carried out under judicial arrest warrants in financial and administrative corruption cases, a security source told Shafaq News.

All entrances to the Green Zone, which houses parliament, key government institutions, and diplomatic missions, were closed as Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) personnel established additional checkpoints and subjected those leaving the area to strict inspections. The only exception was for students carrying examination cards.

The pre-dawn operation included raids and searches of the homes of lawmakers, politicians, and businessmen. It also extended to Baghdad's northern Al-Shaab district, where CTS units executed similar judicial arrest warrants.

In 2025, Iraq's Federal Commission of Integrity recovered nearly one trillion dinars (about $650M) in public funds while pursuing dozens of senior officials, including ministers, through judicial proceedings.

Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, on May 30, established the Supreme Sovereign Council for Integrity, Oversight, and Recovery of Public Funds, tasked with pursuing cases involving the misuse of public money across ministries, government institutions, and provincial administrations.

What does Iraq's new government promise? A guide to Al-Zaidi's ministerial program