More Iraq News Posted by Tishwash at TNT 7-20-2026
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Tishwash: One of the most important outcomes of Al-Zaidi's visit to Washington: What will Iraq gain from opening a branch of JP Morgan Chase Bank?
One of the most important outcomes of Al-Zaidi's visit to Washington is:
What will Iraq gain from opening a branch of JPMorgan Chase Bank?
– The largest bank in the United States by assets.
– Manages assets of approximately $4.9 trillion.
– Serves in more than 100 countries.
– Will facilitate international banking transactions with Iraq.
– Will support foreign trade finance and provide advanced financial services to local and foreign companies operating in Iraq.
– Will enhance financing for major projects in Iraq and provide more efficient channels for managing cross-border payments and transfers. link
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Tishwash: Iraqi Parliament Schedules First Readings for Key Economic and Institutional Amendments
The Iraqi Council of Representatives is scheduled to convene an intensive series of legislative sessions next week, focusing on a broad slate of statutory amendments and high-level anti-corruption oversight.
According to an official statement released by the parliament's media office, lawmakers will address critical regulatory overhauls across the professional, financial, and humanitarian sectors, with all scheduled sessions set to commence at 1:00 PM.
Sunday Legislative Agenda: Professional and Institutional Amendments
The parliamentary week will open with a primary focus on structural adjustments to domestic administrative and institutional frameworks. Lawmakers will conduct the initial review of several key legislative proposals.
The first reading will encompass amendments to the following statutes:
The Civil Staff Law, governing public sector employment regulations.
The Iraqi Bar Association Law and the Chemists Syndicate Law, regulating professional standards.
The Sunni Endowment Divan Law, restructuring oversight for institutional religious assets.
Tuesday Oversight Session: Financial Audit and Corruption Review
The parliamentary schedule shifts toward state oversight during mid-week proceedings, dedicated exclusively to financial accountability and the protection of public funds. The head of the Iraqi Federal Board of Supreme Audit will be present to address systemic fiscal vulnerabilities.
The primary objectives of the special oversight session include:
Reviewing and debating the findings of the Federal Board of Supreme Audit 2025 annual report.
Evaluating active anti-corruption measures across government ministries.
Establishing enhanced inter-agency cooperative mechanisms to eliminate systemic graft and safeguard state revenues.
Thursday Legislative Agenda: Economic and Humanitarian Reform
The final session of the legislative block will focus on statutory reforms carrying significant economic and social implications. Parliament will proceed with the first reading of three distinct legislative drafts.
The final agenda consists of:
The Anti-Human Trafficking Law, aimed at strengthening humanitarian protections and penalties.
The Agricultural Loan Fund Law, designed to expand credit access and stimulate the domestic agrarian economy.
The Notaries Public Law, modernizing the legal framework for civil and commercial transactions. link
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Tishwash: Al-Zaidi's U.S. Tour Recap: Key Meetings and Strategic Agreements
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi and a high-level government delegation have concluded a pivotal five-day official visit to the United States. The diplomatic mission successfully initiated a comprehensive, diversified economic partnership designed to modernize Iraq’s financial infrastructure, attract foreign capital, revitalize the domestic labor market, and expand national revenue streams beyond oil.
Al-Zaidi arrived in Washington, D.C., from July 13 to July 18, where he met with U.S. President Donald Trump, congressional leaders, and cabinet officials.
Central to the visit’s outcomes was the signing of 48 agreements, memoranda of understanding (MoUs), and strategic economic arrangements between Iraqi public and private sector entities and leading U.S. oil, industrial, technology, and financial institutions.
According to Prime Minister Advisor Mudhar Muhammad Salih, the value of agreements signed between Iraq and U.S. companies has reached $60 billion.
White House Talks and Strategic Security Alignment
The visit commenced in Washington with high-level bilateral talks at the White House between al-Zaidi and Trump. The two leaders agreed to establish a comprehensive strategic economic partnership to deepen bilateral ties.
Following these discussions, al-Zaidi received Trump’s Special Envoy, Ambassador Tom Barrack.
On security and defense, the Iraqi delegation visited the U.S. Department of War to hold talks on bilateral military relations, culminating in an agreement to further strengthen joint intelligence cooperation.
Parliamentary security ties were also reinforced during meetings with members of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, including Senator Ted Budd and Senator Tim Sheehy.
Financial Reforms and Global Banking Integration
To advance domestic banking sector modernization, Prime Minister met with the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
A major breakthrough was achieved under the Prime Minister's sponsorship, as the Central Bank of Iraq and the U.S. Department of the Treasury finalized an agreement to restore seven Iraqi commercial banks to international foreign correspondent banking channels.
Al-Zaidi also engaged with international financial institutions to broaden development partnerships. High-level talks were held with World Bank President Ajay Banga, International Finance Corporation (IFC) Managing Director Makhtar Diop, and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.
Additionally, discussions on expanding digital economy financing were held with the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), alongside a separate meeting with representatives from JPMorgan.
Congressional Engagement and Regional Diplomacy
While in Washington, the Prime Minister conducted extensive outreach across the U.S. Capitol, visiting both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Key legislative meetings included:
A meeting with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.
Discussions with Senator Jim Risch, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Talks with Senator Roger Wicker, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
A briefing with the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a review of bilateral milestones with a panel of former U.S. ambassadors to Iraq.
On the sidelines of his Washington engagements, al-Zaidi received the Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs at his residence, accepting an official invitation from His Majesty King Abdullah II to visit the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Houston Energy Summit and New Export Pipelines
The delegation later traveled to Houston, Texas, the hub of global energy operations, where Prime Minister met with U.S. Secretary of Energy Christopher Wright to discuss production and refining capacity enhancements.
In a significant geopolitical development for regional energy routing, the Prime Minister sponsored the signing of a cross-border MoU between the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and Syrian authorities.
The agreement lays the groundwork for constructing a new crude oil export pipeline through Syrian territory to the Mediterranean Sea, offering Iraq a vital new western export corridor.
Furthering energy sector development, the Prime Minister held high-impact corporate meetings with global oil majors and oilfield service providers, including:
Executive leadership at Chevron Corporation and ExxonMobil.
Representatives from the BP–ConocoPhillips consortium and Excelerate Energy.
Oilfield service leaders from Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Honeywell, KBR, and Weatherford to discuss localized public-private sector development.
Infrastructure, Big Tech, and Commercial Partnerships
During the Economic and Investment Dialogue Forum in Houston, organized by the Bilateral Chamber of Commerce, the Iraqi delegation officially announced blueprints for the landmark "Energy City" projects on the Al-Faw Peninsula.
Al-Zaidi also participated in a broad-scale Business Conference hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, anchoring commercial ties with major technology and infrastructure conglomerates.
Private executive audiences were held with the CEO of Starlink to discuss satellite connectivity, as well as representatives from Google, GE Vernova, HKN Energy, Phontif, and Commerce PLC.
Concluding the tour, Prime Minister met with members of the Iraqi diaspora, expatriate business leaders, global investors, and Iraqi scholarship students studying across various U.S. states to emphasize their role in the country’s ongoing economic transformation. link
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Tishwash: The parliamentary finance committee is discussing a number of draft laws.
The Parliamentary Finance Committee, chaired by MP Uday Awad, and with the attendance of its members, held a meeting today, Sunday, July 19, 2026, to discuss proposed laws.
At the beginning of the meeting, the committee stressed the importance of giving due attention to all laws and listening to the proposals of the committee members regarding making appropriate amendments to them, in line with the public interest and meeting the financial and economic requirements of the country.
The committee discussed the proposed Investment Law for 2026, and the possibility of making the necessary amendments to it, especially with regard to real estate allowances allocated to investment projects, in order to contribute to providing an attractive environment for investment, maximizing non-oil revenues, and supporting the general budget.
The parliamentary finance committee decided to study the law in coordination with the investment committee, with the aim of refining it and learning from the experiences of neighboring countries, in the presence of specialists in the field of investment.
The committee also discussed the Grants and Subsidies Law of 2026, its financial impact and repayment estimates, in order to ensure financial sustainability, while studying the Law on Granting Employees a Five-Year Leave of Absence for 2026, due to its impact on reducing the burdens on the general budget and providing an opportunity for employees to work in the private sector.
The committee voted to submit the Borrowing, Grants and Subsidies Law for the year 2026 to the Speaker of the House of Representatives after hosting the Director General of Public Debt at the Ministry of Finance, the Financial Control Bureau, and the Central Bank, and to submit the law granting employees a five-year leave after taking into account the observations of the committee members, in preparation for including it on the agenda of the Council for the purpose of the first reading.
It also decided to raise the law on appointing relatives of donors with agricultural land contracts to the first reading after hosting the Ministry of Finance and studying the problems related to this matter, in addition to hosting the Director General of State Real Estate to discuss the proposed law regulating the sale of the state’s share of the lands to the owners of disposal rights. link