Iraq in July 2026: the most important developments in politics
Iraq in July 2026 was shaped above all by the strikes of July 29, which the United States and Saudi Arabia carried out on Iraqi territory and which Baghdad condemned as a violation of its sovereignty. Saudi Arabia warned of further strikes if Iran-backed groups launch new attacks, and it criticised Iraq over drone attacks by Iran-backed militias. On July 28, Ukraine rejected an Iraqi claim that linked it to attacks on government facilities. On July 22, the United Arab Emirates condemned Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq.
The Iraqi prime minister's diplomacy was the month's second main thread. He went to Washington in mid-July, seeking a balance between security cooperation and economic deals, with oil and gas agreements expected. On July 14 President Trump praised him and hinted at major oil deals, and the prime minister vowed that militias would disarm. He then travelled from Washington to Tehran, where President Pezeshkian welcomed him and Iran and Iraq signed four agreements and memoranda to widen bilateral cooperation; an Iraqi envoy said Baghdad was committed to deepening ties with Iran. On July 24 Iran rejected a US ceasefire proposal that Iraq had passed on, saying it was not interested in a temporary deal.
Funeral ceremonies for Khamenei brought Iranian and Iraqi officials together. On July 7 Pezeshkian and the Iraqi prime minister attended an official reception in Najaf, and the funeral procession moved on to Iraq. Qaani said the funeral would strengthen Iran-Iraq unity against what he called US sedition, and officials of both countries discussed removing obstacles for Arbaeen pilgrims.
Iraq also dealt with Turkey and the Gulf. A one-year pipeline deal with Turkey was due to be signed on July 10, and on July 28 the prime minister visited Ankara for talks on the pipeline, trade and security; the two countries agreed to deepen security cooperation. Baghdad hosted Gulf-Iraq talks on July 2, where Saudi Arabia announced a grant for Yemen's electricity sector.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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