Iraqi PM Cracks Down on Militia Influence: Mosul Airport Contracts Canceled

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi has ordered the cancellation of three contracts at Mosul International Airport, citing alleged links to armed groups. This move represents a direct challenge to the business networks of Iran-backed militias operating in northern Iraq.

The announcement was made by Nineveh Governor Abdul Qadir Al Dakhil on Saturday evening, following a meeting in Baghdad with Prime Minister Al Zaidi. Raid Hamid Al Musleh, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeal, was also in attendance.

According to Governor Al Dakhil's statement, Prime Minister Al Zaidi mandated the cancellation of contracts for the airport's counter leasing, car park, and taxi office due to their alleged connections to armed groups. Furthermore, the Prime Minister directed that these services should now be contracted to international companies.

Governor Al Dakhil revealed that the Ministry of Transport had previously awarded these contracts to three companies without the local government's knowledge or approval. Nineveh provincial authorities had already voiced objections to these deals.

The statement did not specify which armed groups were allegedly linked to the contracts. This action is the latest in a series of confrontations between Prime Minister Al Zaidi and pro-Tehran armed factions. Tensions have escalated recently as Al Zaidi has worked to assert state authority over armed factions operating outside official command structures. Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful militia, has publicly challenged these efforts, viewing them as attempts to limit its political and economic influence.

Mosul Airport, which resumed operations after extensive reconstruction following the war against ISIS, has become a key battleground in this struggle. Local officials consider control over its commercial contracts to be a significant source of revenue and a crucial test of whether civilian authorities can operate independently of militia pressure.

By awarding contracts to international companies, Prime Minister Al Zaidi signals his intent to completely remove armed groups from the airport's economic activities, rather than merely replacing one local contractor with another. This decision also provides a boost to the Nineveh local government, which has long contended that ministries in Baghdad often bypass provincial authorities when awarding contracts. The governor's statement presented the cancellation as a corrective measure to this practice.

It remains uncertain how the affected companies will react or if they will pursue legal challenges against the cancellations. The timeline for the tender process for international firms is also unclear. However, it is evident that Prime Minister Al Zaidi is using the Mosul Airport situation to establish a clear principle: state institutions, not armed groups, will control state facilities and their associated revenues.

This move is anticipated to intensify the confrontation with Kataib Hezbollah, which has previously accused the government of targeting 'resistance factions' under pressure from the United States.