🔶 The Prime Minister of Iraq fired 9 government officials on charges of oil smuggling.
Ali al-Zaidi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, fired 9 government officials following an investigation related to allegations of oil smuggling in the "Jarf al-Sakr" region. The area of Jarf al-Sakr, in Babol province, south of Baghdad, is one of the main bases of the Kataib Hezbollah group, which is supported by the Salami Republic.
Sabah al-Nu'man, the military spokesman for the Iraqi Prime Minister, announced that "according to the findings of this investigation," al-Zaidi was ordered to "present all those involved in the oil smuggling operation to the judicial system." In this context, he pointed to the dismissal of 9 government officials, including security and intelligence officers in Babol district, the commander of the Ministry of Interior and the manager of the oil pipeline company affiliated with the Iraqi Ministry of Oil. Al-Numan did not publish the names of the suspects and did not explain more about the role of the dismissed officials in the oil smuggling operation. Earlier this week, al-Zaidi ordered the start of an investigation into oil smuggling in the Jaraf al-Sakar area.