Iraq's parliament filled the last empty seats in Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's government on Thursday, Interior and Defence among them.
For 5 months the ministries that run the police and the army had no one in charge.
The vote
261 members sat. Parliament approved 11 ministers and three deputy prime ministers, and every one of them took the oath before the session closed. Only the Ministry of Migration was left open. Al-Zaidi said his deputies will draw no salary, and that the government is entering a phase of faster work on the economy.
What moved this week
- The Iraqi bank — the US Treasury sanctioned an Iraqi bank it says was set up by Iranian companies to supply Iran with US dollars. Iraq's Central Bank had already restricted its dollar dealings back in 2023.
- Travellers' dollars — from Sunday, the Central Bank sells travellers $2,000 at the official rate every 2 months, up to 6 times a year. Since September it was twice a year.
- The street — Baghdad closed Thursday at 166,550 IQD for $100, against the bank's 152,000. The government's target for the street is 155,000.
- The budget — the legal date for the 2027 budget to reach parliament passed on Thursday, with no report that it arrived.
The question
Iraq's government is complete. What has to happen before the new notes, and what does that order mean for the dinar you hold?
Credit: Written by Reset Intelligence — David E. Atterton, author of Head of the Snake (@EXIT_FIAT). Read the full briefing: Iraq Completes Its Government
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