Headline of Latest Updates on Iraq in Past Week, 9 February 2019

– Improvement of Iraq-Iqlim relationship.
In recent trips and also the most recent visit, Nechirvan Barzani Prime Minister of Iqlim visited Adil Abdul-Mahdi more news of agreement were released.

They reached agreement to remove customs between them, using local employees at Iqlim borders under observation of central government.
According to unofficial news, two sides agreed that disputed lands such as Sanjar and Makhmour that Iraqi forces claimed followed by Peshmerga forces retreat to return to them and will be controlled jointly.

– 132 days after local vote in Iqlim and a lot of tensions, there are news that two major parties (Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) reached an agreement on how to divide positions.

One important content of the agreement is to reactivate the leadership position of Iqlim, which was suspended last year by parliament after Masoud Barzani resigned.
Masoud Barzani assigned his own son, Masrour as prime minister and his nephew Nechirvan Barzani as the leader of Iqlim.

– Local officials of Iqlim participating the ceremony of celebrating the fortieth commemorate of Islamic Republic of Iran at Iran’s consulate in Irbil, which shows the improvement in their relationship.

– Political and religious personages reacting to Trump’s words regarding US is using its bases in Iraq to survey over Iran and its allies in the region.
Grand Ayatollah Sistani emphasis that Iraq should not be a mean to oppress and harass neighbors.

– Mahdi Sumaidaie, Iraqi Sunni Scholar in an interview with Al-Quds Al-Arabi papers, condemning Arab countries’ treachery when USA attacked Iraq, emphasized he is in accordance with Shiite Scholar of Iraq.
This Scholar calling Iran “World’s Glory” because they are “Islamic Republic”.

– Clearing operation in northwest of Mosul, west of Anbar and some other areas by joint forces.

– Artillery attacking ISIS positions in Baghuz area, east of Syria by joint forces of Iraq, specially Hashad Sha’abi with 50 shells.

– Different Iraqi parties including Fath and Saerun trying to pass a law to reject American soldiers from Iraq.

– Border passage of Taribil between Iraq and Jordan reopening in presence of Al-Quds Al-Arab, Iraqi Prime Minister and the Jordanian counterpart and agreeing on transporting oil from Kirkuk to Jordan.

– Spain King visiting Iraq and the pilot of career airplane used the previous flag of Iraq (Baath party flag) by “mistake”.

– “Tahseen Said Ali Bek”, leader of Yazidis death. He was buried in Iqlim.