Saturday Iraq News Posted by Tishwash at TNT 9-19-2026
TNT:
Tishwash: Urgent | In response to the rising dollar exchange rate, the Central Bank of Iraq reassures the local market: Starting Sunday, several measures will be implemented to meet foreign currency needs.
An informed source stated on Thursday that the Central Bank of Iraq will begin, starting next Sunday, to expand the scope of import financing and increase the support provided to banks, in line with actual commercial needs.
The source said the move aims to facilitate financing for necessary imports and accommodate a wider range of commercial goods, noting that the central bank continues to monitor market developments and take the necessary measures to ensure the smooth flow of foreign trade financing and meet the legitimate demand for foreign currency link
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Tishwash: Al-Zaidi returns to America next week... a speech in New York and a meeting with Trump
Government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi said on Thursday (September 17, 2026) that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will go to the United States next week, explaining that al-Zaidi will deliver a speech before the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and will meet with US President Donald Trump and a number of heads of state.
Government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi stated in an interview with journalist Sadiq al-Shammari, which was followed by 964 Network : “Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is preparing to head to America in the middle of the week to participate in the United Nations General Assembly as a representative of the Republic of Iraq.
He will deliver the speech of the Iraqi people before the world, which carries the message of a state that has dealt with complex issues and opened up with confidence to the world, and conveyed a message that the Iraqi state will not be part of the axes of conflict and will not align itself unilaterally with anyone.”
Al-Aboudi added that “the government has maintained the balance stipulated in its program, which does not allow aggression against neighboring countries, and the Prime Minister will review the measures taken by the government in this matter, as well as matters related to the economic relations that link Iraq with the world.”
Al-Aboudi continued, “The visit schedule that has been prepared includes many meetings with the heads of Arab and foreign states, and there will also be a meeting with His Excellency President Donald Trump to review the features and prospects of the relationship between Baghdad and Washington, which began in mid-July when it was translated into 48 memoranda of understanding and agreements between the two countries in the fields of energy and investment.”
Al-Aboudi concluded, “The Prime Minister will also meet with the American Chamber of Commerce to review the files and sustain the economic relationship between the two sides.” link
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Tishwash: Warnings to al-Zaydi before heading to Washington: Avoid the "siege scenario" and handle issues with America rationally.
The imam and preacher of the Abu Hanifa al-Nu’man Mosque, Abdul Wahab al-Samarrai, warned on Friday of the repercussions of the withdrawal of the US-led international coalition forces from Iraq at the end of September, hinting at the possibility of reimposing economic sanctions on Baghdad similar to those that were tightened in the 1990s.
Al-Samarrai said in his Friday sermon: “We have sent a message to our government and its president stating that this people and country are a trust placed in their hands, and part of that trust is to prioritize the interests of the country and its people over the interests of groups and individuals.”
He added, "Some are talking about economic sanctions and recalling the days of the embargo. We remind officials that the Imam is likened in Islam to a shepherd, and he should lead the flock to safety, not to destruction, and not gamble with the fate of the country or prioritize the desires of the part over the whole." He stressed that "the Iraqi people are tired and have not tasted prosperity, and are suffering from a lack of services and a lack of medicine."
For his part, the Imam and Friday preacher of Najaf, Sadr al-Din al-Qubanchi, addressed the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi to the United States next Sunday to participate in the work of the United Nations General Assembly, stressing that “any political or security disturbance in Iraq will trigger a crisis in the entire region and destabilize the global economy, so the issues must be dealt with rationally.” link
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Tishwash: A US official: The military withdrawal from Iraq will be completed on September 30.
A US military official confirmed on Friday that the military withdrawal from Iraq will be completed by September 30th, noting that the withdrawing forces will be redeployed to Jordan and other countries in the region.
ABC News quoted a US military official in a report translated by the Iraqi News Agency (WAA), stating that "the US military withdrawal from Iraq is ongoing and will be completed by September 30th, with the remaining hundreds of troops in the north of the country being redeployed to Jordan and other countries in the region."
The official added that "US forces will leave the remaining positions in the Kurdistan Region, and military equipment, including air defense systems, will be withdrawn," pointing out that "the counter-terrorism base in Erbil has lost its importance with the decline of the ISIS threat."
The official added that "Washington and Baghdad may negotiate a new bilateral security cooperation agreement after the withdrawal is complete."
The network noted that "the United States and Iraq had agreed in 2024 to gradually end the international coalition's mission, following the decline of the ISIS threat," explaining that "US forces withdrew from most of their bases in Iraq last year, maintaining only a limited presence in the Kurdistan Region."
The report further indicated that "Washington continues to monitor security developments in the region, particularly those related to attacks that might target its interests in other countries," emphasizing that "the anticipated withdrawal represents the end of the current US military mission in Iraq." link