Iraqi security forces carried out a series of overnight arrests inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, detaining dozens of current and former officials.
As of Sunday afternoon, Iraqi authorities arrested 47 legislators and officials on corruption charges, according to the Iraqi News Agency, citing a senior government official.
The operation is still in progress, it added.
The news agency announced the names of 15 politicians arrested based on former deputy oil minister Adnan Al Jumaili, who was arrested last month.
Top among them was the Sunni politician Muthanna Al Samarrai, who leads the Sunni Azm Coalition inside parliament, businessman-turned-politician Mohammed Al Karbool, and Hassan Al Khafaji.
They also include Shiite legislators from former prime minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition, including Alia Nusaif and Baha Al Nouri. Mr Al Sudani’s relative and close aide, Mohammed Al Sayhood, and his adviser Ibrahim Al Sumaidie, have also been arrested.
Authorities have also detained Ali Maarij Al Bahadly, Iraq’s Deputy Minister of Oil for Distribution Affairs. The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions against him in May, accusing him of using his position to divert Iraqi oil and blend it with Iranian oil to help Iran evade US sanctions
Sources described the mission as part of an escalating anti-corruption campaign led by Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi.
The agency had said the arrests included MPs whose immunity had been lifted, as well as officials named in those confessions. The official added that Mr Al Zaidi “will not hesitate to pursue those involved in corruption and in the misuse of public funds”.
Mr Al Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition voiced support for the measures taken by the government to fight corruption. In a statement on Sunday evening, the coalition said its backing stems from a “firm belief in the principle of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.” It also affirmed support for referring corruption cases to the courts and proceeding with them under constitutional and legal frameworks.
According to the statement, this approach is intended to strengthen accountability “away from any political considerations.”
The Green Zone, which houses Iraq’s parliament, the Council of Ministers, the judiciary and multiple foreign embassies, was sealed off from late Saturday until the early hours of Sunday, sources said.
Residents and sources inside the district reported seeing units from the Counter-Terrorism Service, or CTS, moving between private residences of political figures and politicians.
CTS forces conducted co-ordinated raids inside the Green Zone and at some adjacent residences,” one security source said. “The area was closed to traffic and movement was restricted until the operations concluded early this morning.”
Former Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al Maliki congratulated Mr Al Zaidi for the arrests made, offering his support in "efforts to establish justice." Mr Maliki was vying for the prime minister role, but opposition by the US, including from President Donald Trump, likely prevented his nomination. Mr Maliki's eight-year rule has been described as being plagued by rampant corruption.
A resident of the Karrada district, adjacent to the Green Zone, said they observed “armoured vehicles and masked personnel” near entry points during the night. By dawn on Sunday, checkpoints were gradually reopened and normal movement resumed, though security remained elevated around main government compounds.
As of Sunday afternoon, the government had not issued a formal statement on the arrests. The Supreme Judicial Council had also declined to comment on the number of arrest warrants or the charges involved.
The operation comes amid Mr Al Zaidi's most assertive phase yet in a campaign to confront graft, smuggling and the misuse of public funds – a signature pledge since he took office last month.
His government has established specialised investigative committees, empowered the Integrity Commission, and pursued high-profile cases. He ordered a financial audit of major infrastructure contracts and directed security agencies.
The latest wave of detentions appears consistent with that approach. Iraqi officials have repeatedly said that previous anti-corruption drives stalled because investigations rarely reached senior political or economic actors.
By deploying CTS, an elite force that reports directly to the commander-in-chief, the government has signalled that it intends to bypass routine police procedures for cases deemed high-risk or politically sensitive.
Mr Al Jumaili was deputy oil minister for refining affairs and the general director of the state-run North Refineries Company. He was arrested early last month as part of an investigation into alleged corruption, kickbacks and embezzlement linked primarily to refinery contracts. Several other figures have also been detained, including a former governor of Salahuddin province, and the investigation is continuing.
Authorities have seized about $11 million in cash and another 98 billion Iraqi dinars – worth about $63 million. They have also recovered around 1.5kg of gold, at least 40 properties across Baghdad, Salahuddin and Erbil, as well as large quantities of weapons and ammunition.
