More Iraq News Posted by Tishwash at TNT 5-12-2026
TNT:
Tishwash: A giant Iraqi oil tanker crosses the Strait of Hormuz heading towards Vietnam
Iran’s Tasnim news agency announced on Monday that a giant oil tanker loaded with Iraqi crude oil had crossed the Strait of Hormuz towards Vietnam, confirming that it followed the maritime route approved by Iran within the strait .
The tanker's passage comes at a time of heightened security tensions in the region, highlighting the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz as one of the world's most important energy transit routes .
In the same context, the Iraqi Deputy Oil Minister, Bassem Mohammed, confirmed last week that "the Strait of Hormuz constitutes the main outlet for Iraqi oil exports ."
He explained that "the current alternatives do not have the same absorptive capacity," and called for "allocating an independent five-year budget to support and develop the oil sector link
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Tishwash: 95% of the government formation has been finalized... 48 crucial hours to determine the date of the confidence vote session
On Monday, Coordination Framework member Uday Abdul-Hadi confirmed that more than 95% of the paths for forming the government have been decided, noting that the next 48 hours will be crucial in determining the date for holding the confidence vote session within the House of Representatives.
Abdul-Hadi told Al-Maalomah that “the meetings and gatherings held yesterday evening were very fruitful, especially within the Coordination Framework forces,” indicating that “about 95% of the paths for forming the government have been decided in terms of determining the entitlements of the political blocs.”
He added that “the political blocs have already begun submitting their candidates for ministerial portfolios,” noting that “the next 48 hours will be crucial in determining the date of the session to grant confidence to Ali al-Zidi’s government within the House of Representatives.”
He explained that “today will witness an important meeting of representatives of the Coordination Framework forces to discuss some remaining issues,” noting that “final understandings will lead to the next stage, which is setting a date for the parliamentary session, and this will not be long given the clear desire among all political forces to resolve the issue of forming the government.” link
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Tishwash: Parliamentary Finance Committee: Employee salaries are secured and the Central Bank has pledged to finance them.
The Parliamentary Finance Committee confirmed on Tuesday that employee salaries are secured and that the budget is contingent upon the formation of a government. The committee also indicated that Iraq needs more than 7 trillion dinars to cover salaries.
Committee member, MP Uday Awad, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “The Central Bank has pledged to finance and secure employee salaries according to the Reserve Deduction Law.”
He added, “The 2026 budget will be submitted upon the formation of the government,” noting that “borrowing is permitted to mitigate the crisis, especially given the uncertainty surrounding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.”
Awad explained that “Iraq needs more than 7 trillion dinars to secure employee salaries, and this amount is secured by the Central Bank for six months according to the Reserve Deduction Law.”link
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Tishwash: Article 140: Kirkuk and the disputed territories are victims of Kurdish division.
More than two decades after the adoption of the Iraqi constitution, Article 140, which is considered the “backbone” of the national rights of the Kurds, remains a rigid text that has not been implemented on the ground, after it became a victim of narrow partisan interests and conflicts over positions and power in Baghdad.
According to the Iraqi constitution, Article 140 concerning the disputed territories was supposed to be implemented before the end of 2007, but the process was disrupted from its very first steps.
Instead of working to restore the annexed lands, the committees established under Article 140 transformed into ineffective bureaucratic institutions. While Kurdish factions were preoccupied with internal conflicts, Arabization policies resurfaced in new forms in Kirkuk, Sinjar, and Khanaqin, leading to demographic changes in those areas.
Kurdish parties... trading in time and positions
Throughout successive Iraqi governments, the ruling parties in the Kurdistan Region have used Article 140 as a political bargaining chip to obtain ministries and senior positions in Baghdad, while national issues have become victims of oil and financial agreements.
The division has jeopardized the constitutional rights of the Kurds.
The absence of a unified national discourse is the greatest gift to the Kurds' adversaries, as Kirkuk and the disputed territories—sensitive national issues—have become arenas for partisan conflict. Furthermore, the Kurdish delegation in Baghdad does not appear as a unified political bloc; rather, each faction acts independently, pursuing its own interests. This has allowed Iraqi parties to stall and buy time.
Even during the recent visit of Kurdish party delegations to Baghdad to participate in consultations to form the new Iraqi government, headed by Ali al-Zaidi, no delegation went in the name of the Kurds or the region. Rather, all parties sent their representatives separately, and everyone was preoccupied with conflicts over positions and privileges.
For years, the residents of the disputed areas have lived under the threat of displacement and agricultural land problems. In the absence of a clear administrative vision for their regions, service projects have been neglected, while political parties only appear during election seasons, while the residents are left alone to face the real crises and Arabization policies.
Observers believe that Article 140 requires a political will that puts land and identity above partisan interests and positions, but the current reality of the Kurdish parties reveals that this article has become, from Baghdad’s point of view, a dead file, while for the Kurdish parties it has turned into just an election slogan and a burnt political card.
As long as “position and budget” are more important than “land identity”, Article 140 will remain ink on paper without any actual application. link