In a condolence message released by the Iranian General Consulate in Sulaimani, Iran's top diplomat remembers the fifth anniversary of President Jalal Talabani's eventual passing and writes, "his country will commemorate the death of President Mam Jalal.

He added that President Mam Jalal was a vigorous figure who fought for the freedom of the Iraqi people from Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Shiites, Sunnis, Christians and Yazidis for nearly six decades, a man who truly deserved the title "Mam" A figure who repeatedly put himself on the battlefield to defend the Iraqi people.

The Iranian Foreign Minister said President Mam Jalal was one of the most influential and prominent figures of the Iraqi people and the region who spent his life for the sake of freedom, authenticity and independence of his people and country.

In an interview with "Baghdad Al-yom," Iraqi Air Force Commander Brigadier General Ma'an Saadi said the Iraqi army plans to deploy an air defense system in the Kurdistan Region to counter future Turkish and Iranian attacks.

"Turkey and Iran deploy drones and ballistic missiles to bombard the Kurdistan region and they (Baghdad) works to deploy air defense systems in the future to counter any attack on Iraqi sovereignty," Baghdad Al-Yom reported. 

"Air defense system is to protect Iraq and by providing it could prevent any foreign attack in the future, quoted Saadi. 

The recent Turkish and Iranian shelling and wave of attacks on the Kurdistan region have drawn the attention of policymakers in Baghdad. 

The Iraqi air defense commander stressed that the issue of developing the air defense system had become a priority for the PM and defense minister. Equipping the army with advanced weapons could end the threat to the Kurdistan region, according to Baghdad Al-Yom. 

Kurdistan region officials are yet to comment on the matter, which affects the Kurdistan region's autonomous status. Iran's recent wave of attacks on the Kurdistan region revealed the region's lack of air defenses. The Kurdistan region government asked the international community and Baghdad to end such attacks.

The Kurdistan region partially enjoys its autonomy due to the US-imposed Non-Fly-Zone that prevented Saddam Hussein's air force from Bombarding the Kurdistan region in the 1990s. Baghdad is largely absent from protecting its borders in the north. After three decades, such a decision could resort to Baghdad's control in the area. 

The Imtitad Movement said in a statement that it will not participate in the session of the House of Representatives today, citing  constitutional deadlines, and accusing Speaker Mohammed Halbusi of breaking the law and rules of the House.

Meanwhile, 11 independent MPs announced in a statement that they will not participate in today's session of the House of Representatives, citing their opposition to the status cow. They called for change and building an institutional country away from a repeated program.

In July, Sadrist supporters halted parliament sessions when they stormed the Iraqi parliament and camped inside its building. Today, the Council of Representatives met to discuss forming the long-awaited Iraqi government.

A new coalition named "State Administration Coalition" emerged after months of deadlock and is an all-inclusive coalition that commands the majority of the seats in the parliament.

In an interview during the "Al-Rafidain Forum for Dialogue", Iraqi Central Bank Governor Mustafa Ghalib indicated that "we are working on a new currency, a 20 thousand dinars banknote, after studies in order to keep pace with the requirements and match the neighboring countries, and we will start announcing it after completing their requirements," noting that "there is no intention to reduce or change the dollar exchange rate."

He added that since the change in the dollar's value, about 30 trillion and 500 billion dinars had increased government revenue and oil revenue. In the 2021 budget law, the Iraqi parliament voted to set the dinar price at 1,450 dinars per dollar. Now one US dollar is traded for around 1,480 dinars on the market.

Concerning the bank's branches, he said, "We have a branch in Basra that covers the southern region, and in Mosul to cover the north, and a branch in Erbil, and we are working to set up a branch in Najaf, but we need a second land to build safes and annexes, and we will start completing the procedures for establishing this branch to cover the middle Euphrates."

Regarding the removal of zeros on Iraqi bills, the governor said the removal of zeros on the Iraqi dinar requires legislation.

The five-party meeting aims to bring together Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Nechirvan Barzani, House of Representatives Speaker Mohammed Halbusi, Fatah Coalition Leader Hadi Amiri, and Sovereignty Coalition Leader Khamis Khanjar will attend the five-party meeting with Sadr Movement Leader Muqtada al-Sadr in Najaf.

The unnamed leader of the Sadr movement said there were constant contacts to organize and prepare for the five-party meeting. Efforts are being made to convince al-Sadr to keep his supporters at bay to take to the streets.

Meanwhile, Fatah coalition leader Ali Fatlaw told Arabi Jadidi confirmed that a meeting between Sadr and several political leaders will be held in Hanan after the 40th anniversary of Imam Hussein to reach an agreement on the formation of a new government.

Since the October 2021 parliamentary elections, the political parties have failed to form a government, and it has been followed by riots and instability ever since. 

The new report Life in the Margins released on International Identity Day by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Justice Center, and others finds that nearly five years after the declared end of the conflict, access to civil documentation remains highly limited for displacement-affected households in Iraq. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) that cannot access government offices, families with perceived affiliation to the Islamic State (IS), and women-headed households, in particular face multiple challenges in applying for civil documentation. 

While some progress in issuing civil documentation has been made since 2019 as the number of people lacking civil documentation has decreased, those still lacking crucial forms of ID are at continued risk of exclusion from key public services, including access to healthcare and education.

Documents people lack are as simple as those that prove residence, marriages, births, and deaths, and the new Iraqi unified ID card that is critical for accessing monthly food rations. Bureaucratic and administrative barriers, a lack of capacity within the Civil Affairs Directorates (CADs) that issue documentation, and security clearance requirements as a result of perceived affiliation with IS are all among contributing factors in what the agencies report as a complex web of obstacles preventing vulnerable people from getting the documents they need.

“These households have been relegated to the margins of society without key pieces of civil documentation, which compounds and reinforces other vulnerabilities,” said James Munn, Country Director for NRC in Iraq. “Without your identity papers you can’t access services, you can’t freely move through checkpoints, and you can’t move beyond five years of suffering since the declared end of the conflict.”

Fredrik Pålsson, Country Director for DRC in Iraq, said, “Lack of civil documentation makes situations that are already challenging for families even more difficult. People cannot prove their home belongs to them, they cannot get work, and they fall between the cracks of assistance from aid agencies and the state. For all of Iraq to pursue inclusive recovery, urgent action at the highest levels is needed to help people get the documentation they need.”

Aid groups are calling on the Government of Iraq, donor governments, and the leadership of the aid response to commit to helping people finally get the critical documentation they are entitled to. Support is also required to ensure that groups who face particular challenges traveling to government offices, or those who are at heightened risk of harassment, are able to do so freely.

The IRC’s Country Director Samar Abboud stated, “A lack of civil documentation continues to stand in the way of women and female-headed households achieving their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, employment, and education, for them and their children. They cannot resume their lives when the system is stacked against them like this. There are clear steps officials can take, such as de-linking access to documentation from security procedures that would have an immediate and positive outcome for thousands of vulnerable households. ”

The seven aid groups raise the need to allow IDPs to apply for civil documentation in their area of displacement and to de-link security clearance requirements from civil documentation processes. Amidst the winding down of the humanitarian response, outstanding policy level barriers to access to civil documentation must urgently be addressed.

“In Iraq, legal documentation plays a significant role in people’s resilience; for many, it is indispensable to daily life. We hope that in this period of transition, all actors step up their related programming for those most affected, and that it’s considered a priority in discussions at all levels,” says Adnan Gorani of the Justice Center.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2651 (2022) (to be issued as document S/RES/2651 (2022)), the 15-member organ — taking note of a 12 September request from the Government of Iraq — renewed until 17 September 2023 the mandate of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, also known by the acronym UNITAD.

Reaffirming the terms of resolution 2379 (2017), by which the Team was first established, members decided that any further extension will be decided at the request of the Government of Iraq, or any other Government that has requested the Team to collect evidence of acts committed by ISIL/Da’esh in its territory that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide.

The Council also requested the Special Adviser to continue to submit and present reports on the Team’s activities to the organ every 180 days.

The 40-day mourning period for the killing of Imam Hussein or Arbaeen marks the end of the 40-day mourning period for the killing of Imam Hussein – a founding figure in Shia Islam and grandson of the Prophet Mohammed – by the forces of the caliph Yazid in 680 CE.

More than 3 million foreign pilgrims have arrived in Iraq this year to participate in mourning anniversary for the killing of Imam Hussein, mostly through the Iraqi government's border crossings. While 20 thousand pilgrims have crossed into Iraqi through Kurdistan region border crossings, the Commission of Border Crossing Points said.

Zurbatiyah border crossing in Wasit Governorates followed by Shalamcheh border crossing were busies points of entry into Iraq, over 70 percent of pilgrims entered Iraq through Zurbatiyah alone, the commission added.

Iraqi is home to holiest Shiite cites in the world. Karbala where Imam Hussein was killed is the place where Shias march for the Arbaeen ritual. During Arbaeen Shia across the world head to Iraq to mourn Imam Hussein’s death.

This year, many Shias entered Iraq through the Kurdistan region. They were welcomed by Sunni groups and were provided accommodation and assistance.

According to Article 64 of the 2005 Iraqi constitution, the Supreme Court has no authority to dissolve the House of Representatives.
The court's powers are limited and do not include the dissolution of parliament. 

After four postponements, the supreme court met today, Wednesday, to decide on the fate of the parliament. The court met on the request of Iraq’s popular cleric Muqtada al-Sadr whose supporters occupied Baghdad’s Green Zone and called for an early election and dissolution of the parliament. 

The decision might again suspend everyday politics and oblige the political parties to impose their wills through their people, not state institutions. 

Iraqis in Sadr City reacted on Wednesday to Iraq's top court ruling that it does not have the legal right to dissolve parliament.

The ruling by the Supreme Federal Court states the court does not have the authority under Iraq's constitution to dissolve the legislature, which was a key demand by influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Amer Alwan, a resident of Sadr City, the Baghdad suburb where al-Sadr's followers are highly concentrated, said the "court's decision is unfair."

The much-anticipated decision that raises the stakes in the country's unprecedented 11-month political crisis.

"Today, we were surprised by the federal court's decision not to dissolve the Iraqi parliament, which was a popular demand," said Abu Hayder, another Sadr City resident.

Al-Sadr's bloc won most votes in parliamentary elections last October but he has been unable to form a majority government.

His followers stormed the parliament in late July to prevent their rivals from Iran-backed Shiite groups from forming the government.

With ensuing rallies, clashes with security forces, counter-rallies and a sit-in outside parliament, the government formation process has stalled.

Al-Sadr has now been calling for the dissolution of parliament and early elections and has been in a power struggle with his Iran-backed rivals since the vote.

The decision by the court, which had delayed ruling on al-Sadr's demands amid concerns over more unrest, effectively rejects al-Sadr's demand and further deepens the stalemate between the cleric and his rivals.

It puts the onus on Iraq's lawmakers, who could potentially assemble and dissolve the legislature, something al-Sadr rejects.

After the ruling, Iraqi security forces closed the gates to the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad - the seat of the government and the center stage for Iraq's political crisis - anticipating a reaction from al-Sadr's followers.

Last week, at least 30 people died in clashes over two days between al-Sadr's loyalists and security forces, bringing Iraq to the brink of street warfare.

The hostilities came to a halt when al-Sadr ordered his supporters to withdraw.

The court’s ruling could bring further destabilize the country as it leaves al-Sadr no choice but to again call on his supporters to take to the streets to achieve his political demands.

Regarding the national dialogue, Speaker al-Halbusi addressed several important issues, including the oil and gas law coordination between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Region.

"The date of early elections and provincial councils must be determined by the end of next year," Halbusi said. It should also elect a president, and the next government should have full powers and be trusted by the people and political forces.

He called for the revision of Article 76 of the constitution and the law on the elections to the House of Representatives or remain unchanged, as well as the approval of the budget law and the law of the Federal Supreme Court per Article 92 of the constitution. Article 92 of the constitution stipulates that "the Federal Supreme Court is an independent judicial body, financially and administratively."

Al-Halbusi also called for the relations between the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to coordinate their efforts and put an end to their disputes over the KRG's energy sector.

Early 2022, Baghdad's Supreme Court called the region's handling of its oil sector unconstitutional and called on energy firms operating in the region to operate legally by making contracts with Baghdad and not the Kurdistan region. Although the Iraqi government expressed its interest in carrying out the decision the issue remains a source of contention between the Kurdistan region and Baghdad. 

Mouhammed al-Halbousi's remarks come after sustained violence and stalemate in Baghdad over forming the next government.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has said that the only solution to overcome the crisis in Iraq is through negotiations.

“Iran welcomes the calming of the situation in Iraq and believes that the only way to overcome the crisis is through negotiations, protecting the rights of citizens, and respecting the country's legal institutions, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"All parties must abide by the constitution and political mechanisms and create a favorable environment for the formation of a new government," the statement said.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also reiterated its full support for Iraq and stressed that Iran wants a strong Iraq that is secure and stable.

Iraq was on a collision course for months since the October 2021 general parliamentary elections where the Shiite parties failed to reach an agreement to for a government. After occupying the government buildings and the Republican Palace in Baghdad’s Green Zone, and Muqtada al-Sadr alleged resignation from politics, deadly protest and riot erupted in Baghdad with many causalities.

However, Muqada al-Sadr’s vocation from politics did not last much and returned to politics after he swiftly put an end to the riots when he called back on his supporters to evacuate the streets of Baghdad and return home.

After al-Sadr announced future moves, his supporters headed today, Tuesday, to the headquarters of the Council and the Federal Court for a sit-in indefinitely in protest against the judiciary's position on dissolving Parliament, a demand that they have been demanding since the political crisis in the country erupted months ago. Especially with the coordination framework.

Hundreds of supporters of the prominent Shiite cleric in the country carried out an open sit-in in front of the Council and the Federation building, in an escalating step to expand the area of demonstrations and sit-ins inside the Green Zone.  

The Iraqi security forces rushed to prevent them from breaking the supreme courts' quarters, although the Sadrists began camping and dancing in front of the federal institution that had earlier decided to terminate its functions indefinitely. 

They also called on the demonstrators to join them and advocate for them to demand the dissolution of Parliament, the holding of early elections, and the accountability of the corrupt.

Al-Sadr had promised a few days ago future steps without specifying what they were, reiterating his rejection of dialogue with the corrupt and calling for a public dialogue between the political parties to solve the crisis in which the country has plunged after the Parliament failed to convene to elect a new president, despite the passage of several months since the end of Parliamentary elections that took place on the tenth of last October (2021).

A severe political crisis amid the inability of the political forces to agree on the president's election and the formation of a government is about to destabilize Iraq further. 

This stalemate and stumbling have increased the tension between al-Sadr and the coordination framework, especially since late July, with the two sides exchanging pressure in the street and statements, without matters so far developing into violence or fighting.

While al-Sadr insists on dissolving Parliament and holding early legislative elections, the Coordination Framework wants to form a government before early elections.

While the Judicial Council previously announced that it is not within its powers to dissolve the Parliament and that the Iraqi laws and constitution sponsor this issue.