The Iraqi Prime Minister, Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, set October 1, 2026 as “a serious beginning to address the issue of weapons outside the control of the state,” with this treatment ending no later than June 30, 2027.
Al-Zaidi explained, in a statement, today (Thursday): “October 1, 2026, is a serious beginning to address the issue of weapons outside the control of the state, and commitment to constitutional entitlements, in accordance with a clear road map and agreed-upon timetables that do not exceed June 30, 2027, and in accordance with the constitutional principle of leaving the decision on war and peace to the constitutional authorities, and preventing any military action otherwise.”
He pointed out that the government “will work, in accordance with the Constitution, to completely disarm all non-Iraqi armed groups present on Iraqi territory, in a way that preserves the country’s security and stability and controls its borders.”
Al-Zaidi believed that “October 1 represents the beginning of a new phase in Iraq’s journey, a fully sovereign state, strong in its institutions, governed by the constitution, the law and the principles of international law, and open to its regional and international surroundings with balanced relations based on common interests and mutual respect.”
He stressed that the Iraqi government is committed to preventing the use of Iraqi lands and airspace as a starting point or corridor for any action that threatens the security of neighboring countries, and rejects the use of any country’s lands or airspace to attack Iraq, based on the principles of mutual sovereignty, good neighborliness, and non-interference in internal affairs.
The Prime Minister indicated that the Iraqi government “will begin to support the security institutions by purchasing the complete air defense system, to enhance the complete air sovereignty of the Iraqi state, legislate the (Popular Mobilization) law and consolidate its position in the security system, as an integral part of it under the command of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.”
He continued: “We congratulate you on this great day, the first of October 2026, and the great national achievement with the end of the international coalition’s mission in Iraq, the complete and final withdrawal of its forces (land, air and sea), and the achievement of complete and comprehensive Iraqi sovereignty.”
At dawn on Thursday, hundreds of colonists stormed the “Joseph Shrine” in the eastern region of the city of Nablus in the West Bank, where they performed Talmudic rituals, under heavy protection from Israeli forces, according to what was reported by the Palestinian News and Information Agency (Wafa).
Local sources reported to WAFA that “occupation vehicles stormed the eastern area of Nablus, forced the residents of the houses surrounding the shrine to evacuate, and turned them into military barracks, while snipers were deployed on the roofs of a number of houses.”
The sources added that “buses carrying hundreds of colonists stormed the eastern area of the city and headed to (Joseph’s shrine) to perform Talmudic rituals,” according to what the German News Agency reported.
The Israeli forces “stormed the central vegetable market east of Nablus, and abused the citizens there,” according to the agency.
At least 100 passengers on board an Emirati Flydubai plane heading to Tel Aviv yesterday survived an accident resulting - according to preliminary reports - from an argument between their crew, which caused it to make an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
The motives for the incident seemed varied. The Emirati company reported that the reasons “are still unknown at this initial stage” and are under investigation, while official Israeli officials considered the incident “terrorist.”
A Flydubai spokesman explained in a statement that an altercation occurred inside the cockpit. Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk issued a statement stating that the air control center received a distress call from the flight, requesting an emergency landing, and it was allowed to land, with the concerned authorities providing the necessary care to the passengers in the passenger lounge.
The airport confirmed its commitment to the regulations and instructions issued by the General Authority of Civil Aviation, in accordance with international treaties and agreements related to the safety of air navigation, passengers and cabin crews.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the passengers of the plane “succeeded in neutralizing the attacker and preventing him from causing a major disaster.” However, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz asserted that the incident was “an attempted jihadist attack,” he said. He added: “The attacker had one goal, which was to destroy the plane.”
