At a Glance

• The Iraqi Prime Minister chaired a national security meeting on Thursday.

• The council reviewed Iraq's current safety landscape and scheduled agenda items.

• The government demanded that security forces protect peaceful demonstrations and treat protesters humanely.

• The meeting prioritized strategic upgrades to the Air Force and air defense.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi chaired a national security meeting, focusing on maintaining public safety during protests and accelerating air defense and air force upgrades.

Key Statements and Focus area

• The meeting “stressed the need to ensure the safety and security of peaceful demonstrations, as guaranteed by the Constitution, in accordance with the laws and regulations in force.”

• “The meeting reviewed the country's overall security situation, considered the agenda items, and adopted the necessary decisions and recommendations,” the statement noted.

Al-Zaidi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, chaired a regular meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security on Thursday, Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces said in a statement.

Officials emphasized the importance of treating demonstrators with respect and providing them with a safe environment.

They also stated that humane treatment must remain a top priority for all security agencies.

The council also discussed upgrading the military equipment and capabilities of security forces to counter modern threats.

In particular, officials prioritized bolstering the Air Force and air defense systems to safeguard national airspace and reinforce sovereignty.

FYI

Following the complete withdrawal of the U.S.-led Global Coalition, Iraq is rapidly modernizing its air defense infrastructure to secure its national airspace. 

The exit of foreign defense systems exposed critical gaps, particularly after unilateral foreign airstrikes targeted Popular Mobilization Forces positions. 

In response, Prime Minister al-Zaidi compressed the nation’s military upgrade timeline into an accelerated three-year fast-track, utilizing a specialized national fund to procure advanced global radar and missile defense networks.

Simultaneously, the Ministerial Council for National Security has mandated a human-rights-first approach to manage public assembly and maintain internal stability. 

Moving past a history of escalation and excessive force by ill-prepared agencies, the government has enacted a zero-tolerance policy against violence directed at peaceful demonstrators. 

This directive also supports a broader campaign to restrict weapons exclusively to state institutions, preventing unauthorized armed factions from intervening under the pretext of maintaining order.

Earlier this week, the Iraqi government ordered all state institutions to file criminal complaints against media incitement and unauthorized firearm support.

The Prime Minister's Media Office clarified that while constitutional guarantees for free expression remain protected, using media platforms to back outlawed groups or obstruct state weapon controls violates the Anti-Terrorism Law, subjecting instigators to penalties as severe as those for primary perpetrators.

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