City and governorate capital in Iraq amid oil export disruptions
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's campaign targets officials accused of embezzlement and corruption. Authorities have detained dozens, with immunity removals enabling more arrests. The operation is expanding to Wasit, Kirkuk and Anbar as the government seeks to recover state funds and lock out faction-linked networks.
Iraq and Syria have signed preliminary deals at a Washington summit to rehabilitate the Kirkuk–Syria pipeline, aiming to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, with Chevron involved and a stated capacity of 2 million barrels per day. The moves include collaborations with SpaceX’s Starlink and broader energy, healthcare, and tech investments worth over $60 billion.