Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council onWednesday directed courts to prosecute individuals involved in the manufacture,use, or possession of drones deployed “in illegal activities,” according to astatement from the council.

Courts have been instructed to applythe country's Anti-Terrorism Law, legislation that carries some of the mostsevere criminal penalties in Iraqi statute, to cases involving drones thatendanger public safety or constitute criminal offenses.

The directive does not specifycategories of prohibited devices or define thresholds for civilian use.

One day earlier, Iraq's Ministry ofDefense established a tactical trench training facility at the Special ForcesSchool, designed to prepare troops for battlefield threats that have come todefine contemporary warfare.

Iraq has faced recurring incidentsin which unmanned aircraft were used in attacks on military installations,energy infrastructure, Iranian opposition parties, and diplomatic compounds onits territory, particularly in the Israeli-US-Iran war.

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Diyala

An 18-year-old man and a teenage girl died by suicidein separate incidents in Iraq’s Baghdad and Diyala provinces, securitysources told Shafaq News on Wednesday.

The young man hanged himself near a residentialproperty in Baghdad's Al-Baladiyat area, while the girl, a student from Diyala’sJalawla district, took her own life amid family and economic difficulties,including her mother's battle with cancer.

Authorities have referred both cases to the relevantforensic and judicial bodies, while investigations remain ongoing.

Earlier this month, four people in Baghdad and Diyaladied by suicide within hours of each other, security sources told Shafaq News at the time.

A 2025 report by Iraq’s Ministry of Labour and SocialAffairs showed the country records between 55 and 70 suicides per month onaverage, with annual cases rising from about 1,100 in 2022 to nearly 1,500 in2024.

Read more: When life feels closed from all sides: Iraq’s rising suicide cases

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Firefighters extinguished a blaze that swept through fivecaravans at a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) facility in Baghdad, a securitysource told Shafaq News on Wednesday.

The fire broke out at a PMF base in al-Buaitha area ofBaghdad's al-Dora district, damaging vehicles belonging to the faction's 56thBrigade. No injuries were reported.

The PMF is a predominantly Shiite umbrella force which wasincorporated into Iraq's state security apparatus in 2016.

Preliminary information points to an electrical shortcircuit as the likely cause of the fire. A final determination is expectedfollowing the completion of a forensic investigation.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq established a new tactical trench training facility atthe Special Forces School to prepare troops for emerging battlefield threats,particularly the growing use of drones in modern warfare, the Ministry ofDefense announced on Tuesday.

The facility was created based on lessons learned fromcontemporary conflicts, which have introduced new combat patterns including theextensive use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and trench-based operations,the ministry explained, adding that the training ground includes key facilitiesdesigned to simulate operational conditions, such as a command-and-controlcenter, a field medical station, weapons storage areas, and dedicated rooms forrest and logistical support.

Major General Ghalib Mohammed Kamar, commander of theSpecial Forces Division, stated that the Special Forces School is the firstunit in the Iraqi Army to implement this type of training across differentdirections, positions, and operational settings. “The program will beincorporated into the official training curriculum for Special Forcespersonnel.” 

Read more: Iraqi Army after US-led Coalition withdrawal: Can Baghdad achieve full military sovereignty?

Shafaq News-Baghdad

The SupremeJudicial Council of Iraq declared that an arrest warrant circulating on socialmedia and purportedly issued against former Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaal-Sudani is fabricated and carries no legal force.

Thedocument, attributed to the First Karkh Investigation Court in Baghdad anddated June 23, 2026, named al-Sudani, listed in the warrant as former PrimeMinister of Iraq, born in Baghdad in 1970, as a defendant in a complaint filedbefore the judicial investigator's office. The court, upon being contacted bythe council's media center, confirmed it did not issue the warrant.

MohammedShia al-Sudani served as Prime Minister of Iraq from 2022 to 2026. No officialcomment from his office had been issued at the time of publication.

Read more: Failure or feat? A bold assessment of PM Al-Sudani's tenure

Shafaq News-Maysan

The Directorate of Narcotics Affairs of Maysan province arrested a “high-priority suspect” knownas Abu Shaikha on Tuesday, dismantling “a central node” in a cross-provincialnarcotics network, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior stated.

Abu Shaikha iswanted by the judiciary on more than 15 drug trafficking charges and is accusedof masterminding the management, smuggling, and distribution of narcoticsacross several Iraqi provinces. All of his brothers have previously beenconvicted on similar charges.

Officersdetained Abu Shaikha alongside one of his brothers in a remote area of Al-Uzayrdistrict, and seized narcotics and weapons at the time of arrest.

Earlier thismonth, the directorate also announced dismantling an international criminalnetwork composed of three foreigners accused of smuggling and transportingcrystal methamphetamine into Iraq.

Read more: Iraq intercepts 1.7 tons of drugs, issues 42 death sentences in 2026 crackdown

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's Federal Commission of Integrity on Monday called onthe United Kingdom to strengthen cooperation in recovering stolen assets andpursuing proceeds of corruption, stressing that corruption-related crimes havebecome increasingly transnational and require effective legal coordinationbetween countries.

In a statement, the Integrity Commission noted that ChairmanMohammed Ali al-Lami met British Ambassador to Iraq Irfan Siddiq, citing him assaying that corruption is no longer a domestic issue but a cross-border crimethat requires stronger mechanisms for mutual legal assistance and the recoveryof assets obtained through corrupt activities.

He emphasized the need to enhance procedures for extraditingsuspects and recovering smuggled funds in line with international obligationsand efforts to protect public resources. The commission chief also called forcloser international cooperation to track illicit financial flows andstrengthen accountability measures.

Siddiq expressed the United Kingdom's readiness to cooperatewith Iraqi state institutions, particularly oversight bodies tasked withpreventing and combating corruption, adding that reducing corruption “wouldhelp create a more attractive environment for investment and economic growth.” 

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

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Bassem Al-Badri officially assumed his duties as head ofIraq's National Security Service (INSS), the agency announced on Sunday.

Al-Badri reviewed key departments and core responsibilitiesduring his first day e and received briefings on ongoing operations and thetasks assigned to various units.

He called for greater efforts to improve institutionalperformance and strengthen security and intelligence capabilities, stressingthe need for enhanced coordination and professional work to support Iraq'sstability, identify potential threats, and assist state institutions insafeguarding national security.

Last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi dismissed AbdulKarim Al-Basri appointed Al-Badri as his successor. Al-Badri has served as headof the National Accountability and Justice Commission since 2013 and was amongthe prominent candidates considered for the premiership of the currentgovernment.

Shafaq News- Al-Anbar

Two Iraqi airstrikes targeted ISIS guesthouses deep in Al-Anbardesert, western Iraq, the Joint Operations Command (JOC) confirmed on Sunday.

The JOC did not provide details on the outcomes of the strikes or any possible casualties, stating that further information would be releasedlater.

Although the ISIS lost territorial control in Iraq in 2017, itcontinues to operate through scattered cells in desert and rural areas,particularly in Diyala, Kirkuk, Saladin, and Al-Anbar. Earlier this week, theCounter-Terrorism Service (CTS) arrested three suspected ISIS members acrossAl-Sulaymaniyah, Saladin, and Al-Anbar.

Read more: Iraq’s western desert from ISIS hideouts to new security challenges

Shafaq News- Al-Anbar

A drone that recently crashed near the guesthouse ofProgress Party (Taqaddum) leader Mohammed Al-Halbousi in Al-Anbar, westernIraq, was not carrying explosives, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said onSaturday.

The Security Media Cell stated the small drone sparked a firein nearby vegetation without causing significant damage, adding that the modelhas a flight range of no more than 750 meters and is highly susceptible toburning when exposed to high temperatures.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s security forces have assumed control of border crossings and keyinternal checkpoints across the country as part of a broader push to tightensecurity oversight, the National Security Service (INSS) reported on Saturday.

Under directives from Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the ArmedForces Ali al-Zaidi, security units have been deployed to inspection yards,customs exchange areas, and other designated sites. The measures aim to enhancemonitoring capacity, curb smuggling attempts, and safeguard state revenuesthrough closer coordination with the General Commission of Customs, the BorderCrossings Authority, and other security bodies.

A security source in Nineveh province previously told Shafaq News thatthe Service has already taken control of several external checkpoints. Theseinclude the Martyr Sbehan and Makhmour checkpoints in Erbil, the Mosul Damcheckpoint in Duhok, and Al-Barari checkpoint at the southern entrance toNineveh.

Shafaq News- Al-Anbar

A locally manufactured drone crashed in Al-Karma district inIraq's western Al-Anbar province on Saturday, a security source told ShafaqNews.

The crash caused no casualties or material damage, sparkingonly a fire in a patch of dry grass that was quickly extinguished by civildefense teams.

Security forces secured the site and recovered parts of thedrone, while its origin and purpose remain unknown.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi lawmaker Muhaimin Ali al-Hamdani opened fire on a group of construction workers carrying out renovation work at Al-Khansaa Mosque in Baghdad's al-Harithiya district on Saturday, seriously injuring two of them, a security source told Shafaq News.

Earlier this year, al-Hamdani allegedly opened fire on his wife, injuring his mother-in-law.

In November 2025, security forces in Kirkuk arrested seven members of the lawmaker's protection team over their alleged involvement in an armed attack targeting a family in al-Dibis district, northwest of the province.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) hasestablished clandestine cells in Iraq to launch attacks on Gulf countrieshosting US troops, bypassing established Iraqi armed factions to avoiddetection, Reuters reported on Friday, citing Iraqi military, security, and “militia”sources.

The network consists of three or four cells, each madeup of around 10 elite Iraqi Shiite fighters operating outside the commandstructure of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella alliance ofIran-backed factions, and reporting directly to Tehran. The sources saidfighters launched at least seven drone attacks from desert areas near Basra andSamawa between April 20 and May 17 against sites in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, andthe United Arab Emirates.

According to the report, the development points to ashift in Iran's regional approach as it seeks to preserve its influence whileconfronting military setbacks, economic difficulties, and the erosion of alliedarmed groups. Several major Iraqi factions have recently signaled a willingnessto disarm and shift their focus to domestic politics, a trend that may haveencouraged Tehran to rely on smaller, tightly controlled networks.

Read more: Iraq to place armed factions' weapons under state control

“The newer groups established by the IRGC appearsmaller, more ideologically hardened and more tightly controlled, reflectingIran's need to conserve resources amid economic strain,” retired Iraqi armygeneral Jasim Al-Bahadli remarked.

The allegations, the report added, present an earlytest for Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, who has pledged to prevent Iraqiterritory from being used to threaten regional security. Iraqi authorities areinvestigating whether recent attacks on Gulf states originated inside Iraq,while Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have lodged protestswith Baghdad.

Read more: Ali Al-Zaidi's incomplete cabinet faces Iraqi armed factions test

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Shafaq News- Najaf

The Najaf Criminal Court sentenced aconvicted drug trafficker to death after authorities seized 2.5 kilograms ofcrystal methamphetamine he was trying to bring into the province, a securitysource told Shafaq News on Thursday.

The court handed down the sentenceunder Article 27 of Iraq's Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law No.50 of 2017.

Since the start of 2026, Iraqicourts have issued about 50 death sentences and 400 life imprisonment rulings againstconvicted drug traffickers, while security forces have seized more than 2 tons of narcotics, according to the Interior Ministry's Directorate forNarcotics and Psychotropic Substances data.

Read more: From cell to center: Iraq tests a new answer to addiction

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi security forces arrested 12 suspected drug dealers in Baghdad during aseries of intelligence-led operations, the Military Intelligence Directoratereported on Wednesday.

According to a statement, forces set up surprise checkpoints across the capital over the past week,leading to the detention of the suspects and the seizure of various narcoticsubstances.

Drug trafficking has surged across Iraq in recent years, with the InteriorMinistry warning that the country is increasingly becoming both a consumermarket and a transit corridor for regional smuggling networks. Earlier thismonth, Iraq’s Directorate of Narcotics Control in Maysan province dismantled aninternational drug trafficking network operated by two foreign nationals insouthern Iraq.

Since the beginning of 2026, Iraq has seized more than 1.697 tons ofnarcotics, while courts have handed down 42 death sentences and 357 lifeimprisonment rulings against convicted traffickers.

Read more: From cell to center: Iraq tests a new answer to addiction

Shafaq News- Maysan

On Tuesday, Iraq’s Directorate of Narcotics Control inMaysan province dismantled an international drug trafficking network operatedby two foreign nationals in southern Iraq.

In a statement, the directorate said the intelligence-ledoperation resulted in the breakup of a criminal network specializing in thesmuggling and transportation of crystal methamphetamine into Iraq.

The two suspects, both foreign nationals, were arrested inthe act and found in possession of one kilogram of crystal meth. Thedirectorate did not disclose the nationalities of the suspects or providefurther details regarding the origin or intended destination of the seizeddrugs.

Read more: Iraq fights back against synthetic drug flood engulfing the Middle East

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah/ Saladin/ Al-Anbar

Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) arrested threesuspected ISIS members in operations across Al-Sulaymaniyah, Saladin, andAl-Anbar provinces, the CTS announced on Tuesday.

The agency did not provide further details on the operationsor the identity of the suspects.

On June 15, Iraqi security forces detained a “dangeroussuspect” wanted on terrorism charges in Saladin province, a security sourcetold Shafaq News.

Read more: On ISIS defeat anniversary, Iraq confronts a reawakening insurgency

Shafaq News- Saladin

Iraqi security forces captured a “dangerous suspect” wantedon terrorism charges in Tuz Khurmatu district of Saladin province, a securitysource told Shafaq News on Monday.

The identity of the detainee was not disclosed.

Since the start of 2026, Iraq's National Security Servicehas detained at least 20 individuals on terrorism charges across severalprovinces.

Read more: On ISIS defeat anniversary, Iraq confronts a reawakening insurgency

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Diyala

Four suicide cases were reported within hours on Monday in Baghdadand Diyala, according to security sources.

In Diyala, three people took their own lives in separate incidentsin Baqubah. The cases involved a Health Department employee in his forties whodied after hanging himself, a university student who was found dead at herhome, and a man in his thirties who suffered from mental health issues.

In the Iraqi capital, a man born in 1970 died after hanging himselfat his home.

Preliminary information and initial investigations pointed topsychological problems as a common factor in the four cases.

According to a 2025 report by Iraq’s Ministry of Labour and SocialAffairs, the country records an average of 55 to 70 suicides per month, withcases rising from roughly 1,100 in 2022 to about 1,300 in 2023 and nearing1,500 in 2024.

Read more: When life feels closed from all sides: Iraq’srising suicide cases

Shafaq News- Tehran

The process of reopening the Strait of Hormuz will beginafter Iran and the United States sign a memorandum of understanding scheduledfor next Friday, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported on Monday, citing aninformed source.

The disagreements over several provisions continued untilthe final moments before the agreement was announced, the source revealed,adding that US President Donald Trump had insisted on reopening the Strait andlifting sanctions on Iran simultaneously and immediately upon announcing theunderstanding. Tehran rejected that proposal, the source said.

“Trump later revised his first post about the agreement, asan Iranian notification delivered through a Pakistani mediator.”

According to the source, the first clause was revised toinclude the phrase “guaranteeing sovereignty and respecting Lebanon’sterritorial integrity” after Iran objected to the previous wording, noting thata provision was also added to the fifth clause assigning Iran and Omanresponsibility for “managing maritime navigation services in the Strait ofHormuz.”

The agreement also stipulates that vessels transiting thestrait will be exempt from passage fees for 60 days, after which Iran willbegin collecting transit charges, the source said.

Earlier in the day, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister KazemGharibabadi said the text of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and theUnited States had been finalized.

Speaking to Iranian state television, Gharibabadi observedthat two immediate agreements would enter into force from dawn on Monday. “The negotiationprocess had taken a long time and was conducted through mediation by Pakistanand Qatar,” he stated, adding that aQatari delegation arrived in Iran on Sunday and held talks that lasted about 15hours.

Shafaq News- Mosul

The Iraqi Interior Ministry has drawn up concreteplans to assume control of internal security in Nineveh province, northernIraq, Senior Undersecretary Hussein al-Awadi announced Monday at a joint pressconference with the provincial Governor Abdul-Qadir al-Dakhil in Mosul.

Al-Awadi said coordination between the ministry andlocal authorities had produced “measurable security improvements,” and thatinstitutional alignment was reinforcing stability across the province.

Nineveh, with its capital Mosul, was a key strongholdfor ISIS, which seized the city in 2014 and made it the de facto capital of itsself-declared caliphate in Iraq. Iraqi forces, supported by the US-ledCoalition, retook Mosul in a grueling military campaign that ended in 2017.

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

Three ISIS militants were killed in a preliminary toll during an ongoing operation by Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) south of Kirkuk, a security source told Shafaq News on Sunday.

The source said CTS forces launched a large-scale raid and search operation at dawn in the Yarghun area near Taza Khurmatu, acting on intelligence indicating the presence of ISIS cells in the area. The force came under heavy fire while carrying out the operation, leading to clashes that resulted in the deaths of three militants.

Security forces continue to comb the area and secure the perimeter in pursuit of other suspected militants, while Iraqi Army aircraft provide air cover for the operation, the source added.

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Damascus

Iraqi authorities on Sunday announced the dismantling of an international drug trafficking network in Syria following a joint operation with Syrian security forces.

In a statement, Iraq's General Directorate for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs said the operation was carried out in coordination with Syria's anti-narcotics authorities and was based on precise intelligence. The operation involved a series of coordinated raids in the Syrian provinces of Deir ez-Zor and Homs over several days.

According to the directorate, security forces arrested nine major drug traffickers and seized 200 kilograms of narcotics that were allegedly destined for smuggling into Iraq.

Iraq shares a 600-kilometer border with Syria, where, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), over 80% of the world’s Captagon supply is produced. UNODC figures show Iraq seized more than 24 million Captagon tablets in 2023 alone, an increase of 3,300% since 2019. The pills, which contain amphetamine-based stimulants, are often trafficked from southern Syria through western Iraqi provinces such as Al-Anbar and Nineveh, before being smuggled toward Gulf markets.

The country's anti-narcotics forces seized around 1.6 million tons of illicit substances during the first five months of 2026 and conducted 12 cross-border operations targeting trafficking networks.

Shafaq News- Damascus

An Iraqi oil tanker came under armed attack on Saturday while traveling along the Aleppo-Manbij highway in northern Syria, causing material damage to the vehicle, a source told Shafaq News.

Iraqi and Syrian authorities have not yet provided official information about the identity or motives of the attackers.

Following the incident, tribal and community figures in Manbij issued a joint statement condemning the attack and expressing solidarity with Iraq and the tanker driver. The statement stressed that the attack “does not represent the people of Manbij or reflect the historical ties between the Syrian and Iraqi peoples.”

It also called for those responsible to be identified and held accountable, while urging stronger measures to protect transport and trade routes between the two countries.

Iraq started overland exports of fuel oil to Syria last April following the disruption of exports through the Strait of Hormuz.