The measures include a possible shift to online classes and arrangements to accommodate people displaced by the fighting, Asharq Al-Awsat reported, citing Iraqi officials. Iraq has stepped up security preparations and drawn up emergency plans amid growing fears of a fresh war between the United States and Iran.
Iraq had postponed its deadline for armed factions to hand over their weapons to June 2027 after facing resistance to the move. On November 5, Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi told US President Donald Trump that Iraq would not allow its territory to be used to attack neighbouring countries, as per the Iraqi prime minister’s office. Because of concerns over armed groups operating in strategically sensitive locations, the official added, basra remains a particular focus.
The monitoring operation reportedly covers areas from Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan in the north to Basra in the south. The security measures come as Washington presses Baghdad to restrict cross-border movement with Iran.
The army has also strengthened its presence along the Syrian border, the official said. Washington wants one crossing in the Kurdistan region and another elsewhere in Iraq to remain operational, Hussein said. He also said Baghdad was in talks with Iran-aligned armed groups to bring their weapons under state control.
The US on Sunday asked Iraq to shut all but two of its border crossings with Iran, Reuters reported, citing Iraqi foreign minister Fuad Hussein. On Saturday, Hussein said Iraq was investigating attacks launched from its territory against neighbouring Gulf countries.
Iraqi officials have also expressed concern that armed factions could join the war on Iran’s side if fighting escalates, Asharq Al-Awsat reported. Security forces are conducting round-the-clock checks for unusual movements, with additional troops deployed in border cities.
Army commanders have been granted “exceptional powers” to respond immediately to armed violations without seeking prior approval from Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, according to the Arab newspaper. A senior Iraqi security official said that surveillance has been intensified along sensitive stretches of the Iranian and Syrian borders. Al-Zaidi’s office said the two leaders discussed regional developments, security concerns and ways to prevent the war from spreading. The prime minister called for “respect for the sovereignty of states and for Iraqi territory not to be used as a launching point for attacks against neighbouring countries”, according to the statement by the PMO. The newspaper said political officials had raised concerns about reports that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was encouraging armed groups to prepare for possible retaliation.
