Iraq Economic News and Points To Ponder Wednesday Evening 3-18-26
Egypt Warns Media, Vows Legal Action Over Arab Ties
2026-03-18 Shafaq News- Cairo Four Egyptian state bodies on Wednesday warned against media practices that undermine relations with Arab countries, including Iraq, saying attempts to damage long-standing ties amount to a “crime” warranting legal action.
The Egyptian Ministry of State for Information, in coordination with the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, the National Press Authority, and the National Media Authority, issued a joint statement warning of “negative media practices” affecting relations with countries facing “Iranian aggression.”
The statement followed a call by Minister of State for Information Diaa Rashwan, and stressed that Egypt maintains deep-rooted ties with Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, and Jordan.
It described any attempt to harm these relationships as a direct threat to the collective interests of Arab states, calling such actions “unacceptable” on legal, national, and ethical grounds.
The four bodies said they will now enforce existing laws and regulations to control media performance, prevent harm to national interests, and stop insults directed at allied countries or their officials.
The move follows recent media disputes across Egyptian television and social media platforms tied to unfolding regional developments, which officials described as “temporary events” that will not affect Egypt’s relations with other Arab states.https://shafaq.com/en/Middle-East/Egypt-warns-media-vows-legal-action-over-Arab-ties
Today's Security, Tomorrow's Worries... March Salaries Are Secured, And The Government Is Preparing For Difficult Financial Months.
Baghdad Today – Baghdad Amid the daily concerns of Iraqis about securing their livelihood and monthly salaries, many are wondering whether their salaries will arrive on time this month or whether the government will face financial obstacles. This anxiety, which is prevalent among the Iraqi public, has become palpable among employees and citizens, especially with the ongoing regional escalation.
Amid these concerns, economic affairs expert Haider Al-Sheikh confirmed today, Tuesday (March 17, 2026), that the salaries of state employees for the month of March are fully secured and revealed the date of their disbursement.
The sheikh told Baghdad Today: “The salaries of employees for the month of March are fully secured, and the Ministry of Finance will begin disbursing them after the end of the Eid al-Fitr holiday.”
But regarding the coming months, the sheikh added, "The government may face challenges in securing employee salaries if the tensions and war in the region continue as they are." He explained that the Iraqi economy relies heavily on oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, meaning any regional instability directly impacts the country's revenues.
He pointed out that the government may be forced, if the current conditions continue, to borrow domestically to secure salaries, explaining that Iraq needs at least 6 trillion dinars monthly to cover salaries.
The sheikh concluded his remarks by emphasizing that "the next phase requires prudent financial management to avoid any potential crisis in securing salaries, especially given the regional and economic fluctuations."
Earlier, the Ministry of Finance announced that the salaries of employees and retirees are secured, denying reports that there would be no salaries in March.
A ministry statement read, "The Ministry of Finance categorically denies the validity of what has been circulating on some social media platforms regarding the statement claiming that there will be no salaries next month or that the treasury is empty."
Official data indicates that more than 70% of the operating budget is allocated to cover salaries and allowances, a high percentage for a country that does not have real economic diversification. In addition, the size of the cash circulating outside the banking system reflects a structural problem in the financial system, which makes it more difficult to achieve monetary stability and sufficient liquidity in the future. https://baghdadtoday.news/295271-.html
Washington Warns Attacks By “Iran-Aligned Militias” Threaten Iraq’s Stability
2026-03-18 Shafaq News- Washington The US State Department on Wednesday condemned attacks by “Iran and Iran-aligned militias” targeting American interests in Iraq, warning that continued assaults could threaten the country’s stability and risk drawing it into “a broader regional conflict.”
A State Department spokesperson told Shafaq News that such incidents have repeatedly targeted “U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities, civilian targets, and energy infrastructure in Iraq.”
The spokesperson also referred to recent remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who urged Iraqi authorities to “take all possible measures to safeguard U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities and ensure militia groups cannot use Iraqi territory to threaten the United States or the region,” noting, “Doing so is in Iraq’s best interest.”
For Shafaq News, Mostafa Hashem, Washington, D.C.
Read more: Proxy escalation: Iraq caught between diplomacy and battlefield reality
CF Delay Keeps Iraq Without Government, Says MP
2026-03-18 Shafaq News- Baghdad The Coordination Framework is delaying Iraq’s government formation, MP Mohammed al-Baldawi of the Sadiqoun bloc said on Wednesday, adding that caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani remains the leading candidate.
Al-Baldawi told Shafaq News that political leaders should not link the formation process to the end of the regional war, stressing the need to form a government capable of protecting Iraq’s security and sovereignty.
He said the delay serves no one and harms Iraq’s political forces, urging leaders to adopt a unified national position. He held the Coordination Framework (CF) responsible for the slowdown.
“Political blocs have resolved most obstacles and now need to elect a president and assign a prime minister-designate,” he said, noting continued objections to Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition.
A source within CF earlier told Shafaq News that alliance leaders decided to delay selecting their nominee until the regional conflict subsides, referring to tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
The Framework nominated al-Maliki on Jan. 24, but political disputes over electing a president continue to block the process. Iraq’s constitution requires parliament to elect a president before assigning the prime minister-designate.
Some Sunni factions and rival Shiite groups oppose al-Maliki’s return, while the US administration under Donald Trump has warned it may cut aid to Iraq if he takes office.https://shafaq.com/en/Iraq/CF-delay-keeps-Iraq-without-government-says-MP
Read more: Iraq’s next Prime Minister held hostage by US-Iran standoff
Iraqi National Intelligence Service Warns Of An Online Disinformation Campaign And Confirms That Those Involved Will Be Prosecuted
Baghdad – One News 3/18/2026 The National Intelligence Service announced that it had detected a systematic campaign on social media platforms aimed at questioning its national role and professionalism, as well as inciting against its leaders by spreading misleading information.
In an official statement, the agency condemned these activities, describing them as criminal and inflammatory acts aimed at undermining confidence in security institutions.
He indicated that he would begin prosecuting all those involved in this campaign within the legal frameworks, while taking deterrent measures against anyone proven to be involved in publishing or promoting this information.
The agency stressed that these attempts are “desperate” and will not affect its performance or prevent it from continuing to carry out its duties, especially in light of the serious security challenges facing the region.
https://1news-iq.net/جهاز-المخابرات-الوطني-يحذر-من-حملة-تضل/
More Than 200 Americans At Balad Site Say They Have No Evacuation Plan As Fears Grow Of A Post-Ramadan Assault
Katie McQue Wed 18 Mar 2026 Hundreds of US contractors are stranded on a major military base near Baghdad, Iraq, with no evacuation plan, while local Iran-backed militants are possibly making plans to attack the base, three sources said.
The contractors are employed on the Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih Air Base, formerly Balad Air Base, to support the Iraqi government’s F-16 fighter jet program.
“With more than 200 American nationals on the base, the site is considered a high-value target, and the absence of visible preventative measures leaves us feeling exposed and vulnerable,” said one employee of defense contractor V2X on the base, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. “All of us are pretty much sitting ducks at the moment.”
V2X was approached for comment, but did not respond before publication.
Iraqi workers on the base have warned their foreign colleagues Islamic Resistance militants are making plans to attack the base once Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, ends later this week, contract workers said. Some Iraqi military and contract employees on the base have links to the militants and have been passing information to them in preparation for an attack, the sources said.
Islamic Resistance is a series of militias and armed groups that are linked to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella network of mostly Shiite militias that is formally part of Iraq’s state security apparatus. The Iraqi prime minister, Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, does not have the authority to curb their rise in power, said Renad Mansour, senior research fellow at Chatham House, a London-based independent policy institute.
“One of the biggest challenges of the Iraqi state is there has been an increase in these groups gaining senior and significant positions in the security sector in the last few years,” said Mansour. “It’s very much a hybrid model in which they have one foot in the state and one foot out of the state.”
The local militants have been gathering information on the populations working on the Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih Air Base, sources said.
“They are asking questions about how many foreigners and Americans are on base,” the first V2X employee source said.
The contractor employees are now stranded on the base, since the roads outside it are too dangerous to travel on and airspace is closed due to aerial bombardment from drones and missiles. Military forces on the base have been shooting at the drones, which the contract workers hear. However, in the daily security emails from V2X, the company has said there have been no unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying over the base.
“People are seeing the UAVs. We hear this shooting every day, sometimes multiple times, and they have the nerve to say there’s not UAV activity in the vicinity of the base,” said the second V2X worker source. “I believe the danger is higher than they’re saying and they’re minimizing it to the United States Government.”
The workers interviewed by the Guardian said V2X is not providing them with timely information on safety protocols.
“We are not safe. The war is not ending, and the company refused to evacuate us,” said the second V2X source. “They are very poorly equipped. Our lives are in great danger.”
Iran-backed militants in Iraq had been exercising restraint since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, under the direction of leaders of both countries in efforts to maintain security and some economic stability, said Mansour.
“I think in this latest iteration of this war, that is no longer the case, that these groups are now acting in a more free capacity,” said Mansour. “To them, this is an existential fight, because they rely so heavily on the relationship with Iran, economically, militarily, ideologically and so as Iran has shifted its posture and It’s looking to effectively show chaos in the region as much as possible.”
The Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih Air Base has been targeted several times since Israel and the United States launched its attacks on Iran last month. Iran has responded by launching an onslaught of missile attacks on US interests, critical infrastructure and civilian targets around the Persian Gulf. On 17 March, rockets and drones were launched at the US embassy in Baghdad from areas around the city, with three striking inside the embassy compound, triggering a fire.
V2X secured a $118m contract from the US air force to support the Iraq F-16 program last June. The Reston, Virginia-headquartered defense firm, was formed in 2022 following the merger of Vectrus and Vertex Aerospace.
The Iraqi government has made a threat to V2X that if its personnel are evacuated, it could lose the contract, two sources said.
The Guardian has previously reported that V2X employees working on US military bases in Kuwait are lacking adequate bunker facilities and have had their pay reduced, and are receiving limited communication from their employer about safety and evacuation procedures, since the outbreak of the conflict. US military personnel were evacuated from Kuwait in the days leading up to the conflict, yet no such plans were made to evacuate the civilian contractors, employees have said.
“Iran is basically fighting a guerrilla warfare on a global scale,” said Anna Jacobs, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute, a DC-based think tank. “It has extremely messy this is why it’s so hard for even major military powers like the US, like Israel to ‘win’ this war.”
As the conflict progresses, more militant groups in the region are likely to become more active. Additionally, Israel announced this week it had Iran’s national security chief, Ali Larijani, in overnight strikes. If confirmed, this would unleash a fresh escalation of attacks from Iran, said Jacobs. This could include a surge of activity from militant groups that have remained fairly quiet so far.
“Hezbollah has been activated in Lebanon. But what about the Houthis in Yemen and some these militias in Iraq have not yet been activated? This is what could be the next phase of escalation,” said Jacobs. “Iran has only begun to use its arsenal of asymmetric warfare, and there’s much more that they can actually do.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/18/us-contractors-stranded-iraq-iran