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| Iraq | ||||
| Iraqi officials, including lawmakers, arrested on corruption charges in overnight raid UPDATE: arrestees tools of Iran | ||||
| 2026-06-28 | ||||
| [NY Post] Several Iraqi political officials were arrested early Sunday on corruption charges, Iraq’s state-run Iraqi News Agency reported. It said the arrests were based on statement made by former Deputy Minister of Oil Adnan al-Jumaili, who was arrested last month, and "included members of Parliament whose immunity had been lifted." Iraqi security forces sealed off all entrances to the capital’s heavily fortified Green Zone early Sunday and carried out raids inside the compound that houses key government institutions and foreign embassies. A security agency report obtained by The Associated Press said that seven people were arrested, among them five members of Parliament. Some of the arrestees were from the political bloc of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. It was not immediately clear what the specific accusations against them were. Al-Sudani’s bloc won the largest share of seats in November’s parliamentary elections, but he ultimately stepped aside amid a deadlock in the Coordination Framework — a coalition of Shiite parties allied with Iran that brought al-Sudani to power — over their preferred candidate for premier. He was replaced by Ali al-Zaidi, a businessman and political newcomer, who emerged as a consensus candidate and received the blessing of the United States. The arrests are likely to have ripple effects across Iraq’s fractured political landscape, where accusations of corruption frequently intersect with rivalries over power and influence. Purge of Iranian elements in Iraqi Gov't [Clarice's FB page] Babak Taghvaee - The Crisis Watch @BabakTaghvaee1 BREAKING: Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi appears to have launched a coup d'état against elements within the Iraqi government in an effort to purge and arrest government officials with ties to the Islamic regime of Iran. Iraqi news media are claiming that the U.S. government is behind this coup d'état. Tens of Iraqi government officials, politicians, and influential figures believed to have supported Iran have reportedly been arrested by Iraqi Special Forces and the Counter Terrorism Service (CTS), allegedly with the support of the United States. The operation is widely claimed to have been backed by the U.S. government. Reports indicate that tanks from Iraq's Counter Terrorism Service have entered Baghdad's Green Zone and sealed off all access points. Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service units have also reportedly clashed with the 4th Regiment assigned to the Government Palace inside the Green Zone. Heavy arrests have been reported inside Baghdad's Green Zone, including: - Bahaa Al-Nouri - Ziad Al-Janabi - Muthanna Al-Samarrai - Alaa Sukkar - Mohammed Al-Karbouli - Hassan Al-Khafaji - Abdul Karim Al-Sudani - Abbas Al-Sudani - Mohammed Al-Sayhoud There is no official confirmation yet of these reports. However, they suggest that a broad purge under Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi may be intensifying.
Baghdad witnessed a rare, large-scale security deployment in the early hours of Sunday as Iraqi forces carried out a sweeping operation that reportedly led to the arrest of several former officials, politicians, and businessmen across multiple provinces. Counter-terrorism forces and army units, working alongside the integrity commission, moved into Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone overnight, temporarily shutting its gates as the raids unfolded, Rudaw's Ziyad Ismail reported from the Iraqi capital. The high-security zone hosts the US embassy, other diplomatic missions, and the seat of Iraq's government. Iraqi authorities had not officially confirmed details of the operation as of Sunday morning, but numerous Iraqi social media accounts claimed more than a dozen politicians, former officials, and businessmen were targeted, including members of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani's cabinet. The Sunday raids are believed to be connected to the ongoing investigation into Adnan al-Jumaili, the former deputy oil minister for refining affairs, whose arrest last month has snowballed into one of Iraq's largest corruption probes in years. Kurdish politician Sherwan Dubardani had previously told Rudaw that Jumaili named dozens of individuals allegedly involved in the scheme during his interrogation. Jumaili — described by Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad as the "whale" of the Oil Ministry — has been accused of siphoning funds from refineries in Baiji, Doura, Maysan, and Shuaiba, and of acting as a financier for political parties. A senior Iraqi official later told Rudaw's Srwa Hawramy that "A number of suspects in corruption files have been arrested based on confessions" made Jumaili. "The arrests included members of the House of Representatives whose immunity had been lifted, as well as officials whose names were mentioned in those confessions." Iraqi state media confirmed the raids. The operation comes amid a broader crackdown launched by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who took office last month and has made tackling corruption a centerpiece of his agenda. Iraqi authorities have yet to release an official list of those detained in Sunday's operation, and no government statement had been issued by the time of publication.
At least seven lawmakers from various political parties are among the figures detained in overnight raids carried out by Iraq's security forces in Baghdad, according to sources. A senior source from Iraq's Integrity Commission, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Rudaw at least seven members of parliament are among the political figures and officials detained during the anti-graft operation. The lawmakers belong to the Azm Alliance, former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani's Reconstruction and Development Coalition, the Taqaddum Party, and at least an independent parliamentarian, the source noted. The exact number of targeted lawmakers remains unclear, and authorities have not released any official statement regarding the raids. Counter-terrorism forces and army units, working alongside the Integrity Commission, moved into Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone overnight, temporarily shutting its gates as the raids unfolded, Rudaw's Ziyad Ismail reported from the Iraqi capital in the early hours of Sunday. The high-security zone hosts the US embassy, other diplomatic missions, and the seat of Iraq's government. The state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) cited a senior official as saying the raids are connected to the ongoing investigation into Adnan al-Jumaili, the former deputy oil minister for refining affairs, whose arrest last month has snowballed into one of Iraq's largest corruption probes in years. "The arrests included members of the Council of Representatives whose immunity had been lifted, as well as officials whose names were mentioned in those confessions," the source confirmed to INA. They added that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi "will not hesitate to pursue corrupt individuals and those involved in misappropriating state funds." The operation comes amid a broader crackdown launched by Zaidi, who took office last month and has made tackling corruption a centerpiece of his agenda. The raids were not limited to the capital. Yasin Dawoodi, a member of the Salahaddin Provincial Council, told Rudaw that Hind Abbasi, a lawmaker from the Azm Alliance, was arrested in the province on Sunday. He noted that security forces also raided the home of Ashwaq Salem al-Jabouri, a parliamentarian from Sudani's party, but she was not home at the time. 'BIG FISH' Abd al-Rahman al-Jazairi, a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) leader affiliated with the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, told Rudaw that the raids to arrest the "big fish" in Iraq will continue until Zaidi visits the US in mid-July. "Several more operations are also scheduled to take place tonight in Baghdad and other provinces," Jazairi added. He said the operation will also target some leaders of armed groups operating outside government control. "A number of leaders of armed groups are also set to be arrested. They must surrender themselves to the court, otherwise they will be arrested and brought before the law," he said. Zaidi's government has intensified efforts to rein in the weapons of Iranian-aligned armed groups. He further noted that among the prominent leaders arrested in the campaign is Muthana al-Samarrai, head of the Sunni Azm Alliance. A source from his party confirmed to Rudaw that Samarrai has been arrested. When asked whether the FBI has been involved in the raids, Mazen Gharib, a member of parliament's security and defense committee, told Rudaw's Sangar Abdulrahman, "I live in the same compound as other parliamentarians, what I saw were Iraqi forces but whether they are supporting the operations, I am not sure." He added, "the situation in Baghdad is calm now… now only VIPs like parliamentarians, ministers and their deputies are allowed to enter the Green Zone. Ordinary people are not allowed to enter, but I think in the coming hours, that will also be resolved."
Iraq’s Integrity Commission has arrested 47 suspects, including lawmakers and senior officials, on corruption charges following an operation carried out early Sunday in a rare large-scale security deployment in Baghdad, state media reported. “There are senior officials involved,” Sherwan Dubardani, a Kurdish lawmaker in the Iraqi Parliament, told Rudaw on Sunday regarding the suspects who have reportedly fled to Amman, Dubai, and the Kurdistan Region. “The KRG is committed to handing over suspects to Baghdad,” Dubardani added, underlining active coordination between the two governments to enforce outstanding arrest warrants. He also said two officials have already been apprehended in Erbil and are expected to be transferred to federal authorities. The arrests come amid an ongoing investigation into Adnan al-Jumaili, the former deputy oil minister for refining affairs, whose arrest last month has led to one of Iraq's largest corruption probes in years. The high-profile graft case against Jumaili initially involved the judicial seizure of $85 million in cash, luxury vehicles, 70 real estate properties, and approximately three kilograms of gold from the detained official and his close associates.
In a statement released by Iraqi state media, the Commission said the arrests were carried out in Baghdad under legal procedures and amid “diligent and continuous monitoring,” during a major overnight operation that reportedly led to the detention of multiple former officials, lawmakers, and businessmen across several provinces. Counter-terrorism forces and army units, working alongside the Integrity Commission, moved into Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone overnight, temporarily shutting its gates as the raids unfolded. The high-security zone hosts the US embassy, other diplomatic missions, and the seat of Iraq's government. The Commission also released the names of 15 detainees, which include members of parliament, Azm Alliance leader Muthanna al-Samarrai, deputy oil minister Ali Ma’arj, and Ibrahim al-Sumaidaie, an adviser to the former Iraqi prime minister. Dubardani told Rudaw on Sunday that the federal government coordinates with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to track down high-profile suspects who fled the capital after the operation, according to a lawmaker. “I initially thought that the suspects numbered 128 individuals, but that figure might ultimately rise to 200 or 300,” Dubardani said. | ||||
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