Iraq

BAGHDAD, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi authorities decided on Thursday to ease COVID-19 restrictive measures and replace full curfew with a partial one to facilitate the vaccination campaign, as the country's total caseload reached 1,132,092.

A statement by the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety headed by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said the committee decided to impose a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time instead of the 10-day full curfew imposed earlier in the week.

12 May 2021; MEMO: Lockheed Martin said on Monday it is withdrawing personnel who support Iraq's F-16 fleet from Balad Air Base because of threats from militias in the region.

"In coordination with the US government and with employee safety as our top priority, Lockheed Martin is relocating our Iraq-based F-16 team," Joseph LaMarca Jr., a company vice president for communications, said in a statement.

11 May 2021; MEMO: The Iraqi Ministry of Interior yesterday deployed security reinforcements and imposed a security cordon around the Iranian consulate building in Karbala, in the south of the country.

The Iraqi army commander in Karbala, Ali Al-Hashemi, told reporters: "The Iranian consulate is completely surrounded by emergency regiments, and the situation in Karbala is completely under control."

11 May 2021; MEMO: Iraq has formally asked to buy US energy giant ExxonMobil's share in one of Iraq's biggest oilfields, West Qurna 1, the head of the state-run oil operating company said on Monday, Reuters reported.

Iraq said last month that Exxon was seeking to sell its 32.7% stake in West Qurna 1, and that the oil ministry had started discussions over a possible purchase.

BAGHDAD, May 9 (NNN-NINA) – An unidentified drone attacked, yesterday, a military airbase housing U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq’s western province of Anbar, the Iraqi and U.S. military said.

“A booby-trapped drone went down at about 2:30 local time (23:30 GMT on Friday) at Ayn al-Asad Air Base in Anbar Province, without casualties,” the media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said.

06 May 2021; MEMO: The Iraqi army yesterday announced that two rockets had targeted the Ain Al-Asad Air Base where American forces are stationed, in the third such attack in three days.

The army's media cell said in a statement that the two rockets fell on an unoccupied segment of the Ain Al-Asad Air Base, "without causing damage or casualties".

Baghdad, May 5 (AP) Iraq's vaccine roll-out had been faltering for weeks. Apathy, fear and rumors kept many from getting vaccinated despite a serious surge in coronavirus infections and calls by the government for people to register for shots.

It took a populist Shiite cleric's public endorsement of vaccinations and images of him getting the shot last week to turn things around.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s vaccine roll-out had been faltering for weeks. Apathy, fear and rumors kept many from getting vaccinated despite a serious surge in coronavirus infections and calls by the government for people to register for shots.

It took a populist Shiite cleric’s public endorsement of vaccinations — and images of him getting the shot last week — to turn things around.

Hundreds of followers of Muqtada al-Sadr are now heading to clinics to follow his example, underscoring the power of sectarian loyalties in Iraq and deep mistrust of the state.

(Reuters) --- At least two rockets landed on Tuesday on the Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq which hosts U.S. and other international forces, but caused no casualties, the Iraqi military said in a statement.

The statement gave no further details.

The United States accuses Iran-backed militia groups of launching regular rocket attacks against its troops in Iraq. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday's attack.

04 May 2021; MEMO: Iraq's Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar Ismail yesterday said he does not expect oil prices to drop below $65 a barrel and that lower oil prices should not be a concern after OPEC+ eases production cuts from May.

Iraq has been severely affected by the drop in crude oil prices over the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.