“Tidbits From TNT” Sunday 2-1-2026
TNT:
Tishwash: Source: Al-Sudani, Al-Amiri, and Al-Mandalawi are visiting Erbil today, Sunday.
A high-level source in the Kurdistan Democratic Party revealed on Sunday (February 1, 2026) that there is intensive political activity to resolve the issue of the presidency, stressing adherence to the existing agreement with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and not going to break the understanding between the two parties.
The source told Baghdad Today in a special statement that “what has been agreed upon so far is not to cancel the existing agreement, and it is likely that tomorrow will witness a visit by Hadi al-Amiri, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and Acting Speaker of Parliament Mohsen al-Mandalawi to Erbil, to resolve the issue of the presidency with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, within the existing agreement with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.”
The source explained that "this visit is moving within the framework of coordination, which does not prefer that the Kurdish component bring two candidates, but rather one compromise candidate, in order to ensure ease in the appointment of the presidency and ease in completing the process of forming the next government," considering that "unifying the Kurdish position within the parliament will be a decisive factor in the session to elect the president and stabilize the political process in the next stage."
It is worth noting that the parliamentary session scheduled for today, Sunday (February 1, 2026), to elect the president of the republic is taking place amidst a clear political deadlock regarding the Kurdish issue.
This comes after weeks of dispute between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) over the presidential candidate, with multiple names still being put forward within the Kurdish political sphere.
Meanwhile, the Coordination Framework prefers to resolve the issue with a single consensus candidate to ensure the stability of the new government formation process. This complexity, coupled with the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki for prime minister and escalating regional and international pressure, has transformed the presidency from a largely ceremonial position into an additional political hurdle requiring a comprehensive settlement among Shia, Kurdish, and Sunni forces alike. link
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Tishwash: An economist reveals urgent solutions to address the financial crisis and secure employee salaries.
Economic expert Ahmed Al-Tamimi revealed today, Saturday (January 31, 2026), a number of urgent solutions required to confront the financial crisis that Iraq is going through, and to ensure the regular disbursement of employee salaries.
Al-Tamimi said in a press statement that “the current financial crisis, which has directly impacted the delay in releasing employee salaries, requires immediate government measures and real structural reforms to prevent it from worsening in the coming period.”
He explained that “the delay in salaries is not only due to the decline in cash liquidity, but is the result of accumulations that have continued for years, due to the almost complete dependence on oil revenues, in contrast to the weak diversification of income sources and the decline in non-oil revenues.”
He added that “continuing this approach will increase pressure on the general budget, unless action is taken quickly to rearrange spending priorities, control operating expenses, and secure employee salaries as a top priority to maintain social stability.”
Al-Tamimi pointed out that “among the urgent solutions is activating the tools of fiscal policy in coordination with the Central Bank, improving liquidity management in government banks, as well as accelerating the reform of the tax system and expanding the collection base, in a way that does not burden those with limited income.”
He stressed that “confronting the current crisis requires a clear political will to combat waste and financial corruption, enhance transparency in the management of public funds, and support productive sectors, especially industry and agriculture, to alleviate pressure on the public treasury and create sustainable financial resources.”
Al-Tamimi concluded his remarks by stressing that “any further delay in addressing the issues will exacerbate the repercussions of the crisis,” calling on the government to take swift and well-considered decisions that ensure the regular disbursement of salaries and restore confidence in the state’s financial situation.
The country is currently experiencing increasing financial pressures that have affected the salaries of employees in a number of government institutions, amid challenges related to declining liquidity and the general budget's heavy reliance on oil revenues.
These developments come at a time when calls are mounting for urgent financial and structural reforms to ensure economic stability and secure the state’s basic obligations, foremost among them employee salaries. link
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Tishwash: Explosions rocked several Iranian cities: What are the reasons? Authorities explain
Iranian authorities announced that the sounds and explosions heard on Saturday in the cities of Qasr-e Shirin, Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, and southern Tehran were due to different and unrelated causes.
The authorities confirmed that these explosions are not related to any exceptional security developments, and that the general situation is stable.
Local sources in Qasr-e Shirin, in the west of the country, reported that the loud sounds heard this morning were the result of pre-planned military maneuvers and exercises carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, as part of periodic programs aimed at raising the level of combat readiness.
She confirmed that these exercises ended according to the schedule, and that the situation in the city is completely normal and does not warrant concern.
In the southwestern city of Ahvaz, the head of the city's fire and safety services organization announced that an explosion occurred inside a residential complex in the Kianshahr area, as a result of a gas leak, killing four people.
He explained that emergency teams rushed immediately to the scene of the incident to control it and secure the area, and the competent authorities began investigating its circumstances.
In Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan province in southern Iran, the province's Director General of Crisis Management, Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, explained that the loud noise reported in some parts of the city was caused by an incident inside a residential building on Moallem Street, stressing that the incident had no security implications.
He added that ambulance and fire crews began relief work immediately upon receiving the report.
The authorities urged citizens not to be swayed by rumors and to obtain information from official sources, stressing that the safety of citizens is a priority and that the relevant authorities are monitoring all incidents in accordance with the approved legal and procedural frameworks.
Iranian authorities have denied any security or military incidents in the cities of Parand and Rabat Karim, southwest of Tehran, after reports circulated of explosions being heard and heavy smoke seen in some areas.
The administrative official of Rabat Karim, Reza Aghaali Khani, explained in an official statement that the rising smoke was not caused by any security or military incident, indicating that its source was due to fires that broke out in dry reed plants on the banks of the Shur River.
The official added that such fires sometimes occur as a result of negligence or the actions of some unknown people, and that the authorities are closely monitoring the situation and taking precautionary measures to prevent the recurrence of such fires and to protect the environment.
Meanwhile, the public relations department of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied on Saturday claims of the assassination of naval commander Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri.
In the same context, the Revolutionary Guard's naval force denied what was being circulated regarding its headquarters in Hormozgan province being attacked by a drone, stressing that none of the force's buildings were destroyed, and that the news published in this context is baseless.
The Public Relations Department of the Revolutionary Guard explained that the methodology of spreading rumors followed by the “Terror Alarm” account in security and military issues has known precedents, considering that the aforementioned Israeli account works as an operational arm of the Mossad, within the framework of psychological warfare.
She pointed out that the same account had previously claimed the assassination of Quds Force commander Brigadier General Ismail Qaani, which proved to be false.
The Guard noted that “given the psychological operation being carried out by Trump, the dissemination of assassination rumors by Terror Alarm takes on greater significance.”
This comes amid the US threat to launch an attack on Iran, which Tehran insists will be met with an unprecedented response. link
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