Iraq seizes mounds of gold and millions in cash in corruption crackdown

Iraqi authorities person seized much than 825 pounds of golden and 10 of millions successful currency successful a bid of anti-corruption operations that led to the apprehension of astatine slightest 21 people, including dozens of authorities officials and respective erstwhile and existent members of parliament.

The seizures were connected to the apprehension successful May of a erstwhile lawman lipid minister, Adnan Al-Jumaili, connected suspicion of corruption. 

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, who took up the relation successful May, has vowed to tackle graft successful the country. But the ngo won't beryllium easy, a authorities authoritative who asked to stay anonymous told CBS News.

The fig of implicated officials and the piles of confiscated golden and currency successful U.S. dollars and Iraqi dinar, arsenic good arsenic vehicles and homes seized successful the operation, shows the standard of graft successful the country. And this probe lone related to 1 sector: oil. 

"The latest run was unexpected," said the official, not lone due to the fact that it came soon into Al-Zaidi's tenure, but besides due to the fact that galore erstwhile premier ministers person paid lip-service to tackling corruption without really doing so. 

"It came arsenic a astonishment to each progressive and it volition proceed to see corruption cases successful different sectors."

An investigative justice astatine Iraq's Central Anti-Corruption Court, Diaa Jaafar, told the Iraqi News Agency that 790 pounds of golden was recovered successful 1 cognition and 37 pounds successful another. He provided nary further details of the operations.

The golden has been handed backmost to the country's cardinal bank, Jaafar added. 

The seizure follows different cognition related to the lipid ministry past Thursday successful which Iraqi dinar worthy $10.6 cardinal was recovered successful a rainwater drainage pit.

A spokesperson for the Iraqi government, Haider al-Aboudi, told Qatari quality outlet Al Jazeera that the full funds seized successful the al-Jumaili lawsuit were worthy much than $96 million, positive different $24 cardinal successful existent estate, vehicles and gold.

"The Iraqi thoroughfare is looking guardant to punishing those who wreaked havoc with nationalist money, and violated its sanctity, arsenic it is the wealth of each Iraqis," helium said.

Al-Aboudi told Al Jazeera that Iraq has prepared ineligible documents to extradite respective 100 suspects surviving overseas arsenic portion of the anti-corruption push.

Disarming Iranian-backed militias

Al Zaidi met with President Trump successful the Oval Office Tuesday to sermon concern opportunities for American companies successful Iraqi infrastructure and energy, arsenic good arsenic the Iraqi program to disarm the country's Iran-backed militias by Sep. 21 and the implicit withdrawal of each U.S. forces from Iraq by Sep. 30. 

Ahead of the meeting, successful effect to a shouted question astir his connection for the Iraqi people, Mr. Trump responded: "We emotion Iraq."

President Trump shakes hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during a gathering successful the Oval Office astatine the White House ion July 14, 2026. Evan Vucci / REUTERS

Iranian-backed militias person been a situation for successive Iraqi governments for implicit 2 decades.

Some of the much hardline groups person already rejected calls to laic down their arms. Several of them person targeted U.S. diplomatic missions and forces successful the state and the region.

In a connection connected Monday, Kuwait's overseas ministry condemned the Iranian authorities and its allies successful Iraqi militias for "attacks that targeted a fig of borderline centers and an offshore drilling level belonging to the Kuwait Oil Company, resulting successful quality injuries and worldly losses."

Saudi Arabia and the UAE person some besides made akin claims astir Iraq-based militias.

In:

• Iraq