In the early hours of Sunday, elite Iraqi counter-terrorism forces and army units sealed off Baghdad’s Green Zone and launched raids that resulted in the arrest of numerous politicians, sitting and former lawmakers, and senior government officials. Iraqi security sources told state media that the operation was carried out on direct orders from Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, after judicial authorities issued warrants based on confessions by Adnan al-Jumaili, a deputy oil minister detained last month on corruption charges. Among those reported detained are associates of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, members of Shia parties close to Iran, and prominent Sunni figures, though no official list has been released. One source said the arrests extended to a deputy oil minister recently sanctioned by the United States for facilitating Iranian oil smuggling through falsified documents. The Green Zone — home to government offices, embassies, and residences of top officials — was completely closed.

The raids represent the most tangible demonstration yet of Prime Minister al-Zaidi’s pledge to tackle the corruption that has bled Iraq’s public finances for decades. Since taking office in May, al-Zaidi, a political newcomer from the private sector, has promised to hold senior figures accountable and to concentrate the use of arms in the hands of the state. Viewed from Washington, the arrests are seen as a step toward weakening Iranian-backed networks that have long exploited state institutions. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that the FBI was informed of the operation, though they declined to confirm direct involvement. The move also comes ahead of al-Zaidi’s scheduled visit to Washington in July, where he intends to shift the bilateral relationship from a military partnership to an economic one, seeking investment and technology transfer.

Iraqi and regional analysts note that the operation draws on a judicial file that ballooned after al-Jumaili’s arrest, with his testimony reportedly implicating officials across the political spectrum in schemes ranging from embezzlement to the smuggling of Iranian oil and US dollars. The US Treasury had previously sanctioned the deputy oil minister for distribution, Ali al-Bahadli, for aiding Iran’s efforts to evade energy sanctions, and his reported detention links the domestic anti-corruption drive directly to the geopolitical standoff over Tehran’s oil exports. The campaign also gained momentum from the fact that Iraq’s parliament is in summer recess, allowing the judiciary to lift the immunity of sitting lawmakers without a potentially contentious parliamentary vote. Security officials said the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected.

The political repercussions of the sweep are potentially far-reaching. Former Prime Minister al-Sudani’s half-brother was reportedly detained, and the raids have touched figures associated with the Coordination Framework, the Shia bloc that brought al-Sudani to power and retains strong ties to Tehran. Al-Zaidi, who emerged as a compromise candidate after al-Sudani’s withdrawal, is seeking to carve out an independent space, but he faces the challenge of consolidating his government while managing pushback from entrenched interests. The coming days will test the judiciary’s capacity to pursue cases transparently and without political interference. As Baghdad prepares to issue formal charges, the Arab Gulf states and Western capitals are watching closely, seeing the anti-corruption drive as a gauge of Iraq’s ability to reassert sovereignty and attract the foreign capital needed for reconstruction.