Iraq’s anti-corruption campaign has grown into the country’s largest crackdown on financial crimes, targeting senior officials, lawmakers, and ministry executives while recovering billions of dinars in cash, gold, real estate, and other assets.

Launched under Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi’s "Operation Dawn," the campaign has expanded across multiple governorates, with authorities pledging to continue pursuing public funds and those accused of embezzling them.

Operation Dawn Begins

"Operation Dawn," announced on June 28, 2026, by Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, marked the first phase of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign.

Based on extensive judicial investigations, the operation targeted multiple ministries and government sectors, with particular focus on the Ministries of Oil and Electricity. Authorities froze suspicious projects and placed major contracts under review in an effort to halt the embezzlement of public funds.

The campaign was launched before dawn on direct orders from the prime minister and was triggered by detailed confessions from Adnan al-Jumaili, the former Deputy Oil Minister for Refining Affairs, who had already been detained.

Al-Jumaili was arrested, and the anti-corruption court disclosed that authorities confiscated assets worth 123 billion Iraqi dinars, more than $11 million, and 7.5 kilograms of gold.

The investigation also led to the seizure of 71 high-value properties across Baghdad, Erbil, and Salahuddin, in addition to a substantial cache of weapons and ammunition.

Interrogations involving al-Jumaili triggered a broader operation that expanded beyond the ministry and reached prominent political figures across Iraq.

Senior Officials and Lawmakers Arrested

The campaign quickly widened to include lawmakers, party leaders, senior government officials, military officers, and ministry executives.

In the initial phase, nearly 47 prominent political figures, including current and former members of parliament, were targeted, with parliamentary immunity revoked for 12 sitting lawmakers.

Those arrested include:

• Muthanna al-Samarrai, leader of the Azm Alliance
• Aalia Nsayif
• Mohammed al-Karbouli
• Ziyad al-Janabi
• Bahaa Nouri
• Hind al-Abbasi
• Mudhhar al-Karawi
• Hassan al-Khafaji
• Bushra al-Qaysi
• Mohammed Farman al-Jubouri

Former lawmakers Mohammed Sayhud and Abdul Rahman al-Luwayzi were also detained.

The operation additionally targeted several senior executive officials, including:

• Adnan al-Jumaili, former Deputy Oil Minister for Refining Affairs
• Ali Maarij, Deputy Oil Minister for Distribution Affairs
• Ibrahim al-Sumaidaie, adviser to former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani
• Mohammed Mayahi, former Governor of Wasit
• Ali Hamid al-Zaidi, Director of the Middle Euphrates Electricity Production Company

The campaign also reached Iraq's security institutions, resulting in the arrest of three senior Ministry of Defense officers and several military engineers on charges related to corruption and the misuse of public funds. Investigations remain ongoing.

Arrest warrants were initially executed inside Baghdad's Green Zone before the operation expanded into other governorates.

Security forces carried out coordinated raids in Saladin, Anbar, and Kirkuk, recovering stolen assets and seizing properties allegedly acquired through illicit means.

Recovered Assets Reach Hundreds of Billions

Authorities have continued to recover significant amounts of public wealth throughout the campaign.

To date, investigators have recovered:

• 200 billion Iraqi dinars in cash
• $25 million in cash
• 400 kilograms of gold

Based on current market values, the confiscated gold alone is estimated to be worth more than $51.2 million.

The combined value of recovered cash and gold amounts to approximately 300 billion Iraqi dinars.

Authorities have also confiscated 100 commercial properties and luxury real estate units, as well as hundreds of high-end vehicles valued at approximately 50 billion dinars, bringing the total value of recovered assets to an estimated 350 billion Iraqi dinars.

Coordination Framework Backs Operation Dawn

During a high-level meeting attended by al-Zaidi, the Coordination Framework endorsed the outcomes of the Iraqi delegation's recent visit to the United States. Al-Zaidi briefed attendees on the agreements reached with Washington across multiple sectors, with participants describing the understandings as an opportunity to strengthen Iraq's international standing, attract foreign investment, and create new employment opportunities.

Leaders attending the meeting also declared their support for Operation Dawn. They stated that no political cover or immunity would be granted to anyone facing corruption allegations, regardless of political affiliation. They called for all legal procedures to be implemented rigorously to safeguard public funds and preserve the credibility of the anti-corruption campaign.

The meeting also reviewed Iraq's broader political and security situation, emphasizing the importance of strengthening stability, improving public services, and addressing economic and social challenges while protecting Iraq's sovereignty and independent decision-making.

7,000-Page Audit Report Reaches Parliament

As Operation Dawn continues, Iraq's Parliament is preparing to examine what officials describe as the country's largest financial audit report to date.

Oday Awwad, Chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, announced that the Federal Board of Supreme Audit's report for the 2025 fiscal year exceeds 7,000 pages. The report reviews expenditures and financial performance across all government ministries, institutions, and operational units.

According to Awwad, the audit documents numerous financial and administrative violations, with several classified as serious enough to require judicial action.

Cases carrying criminal implications have already been referred to the judiciary. Other violations require formal responses from the institutions concerned, while administrative irregularities are expected to be addressed internally by the relevant government departments.

The Council of Representatives has scheduled a special parliamentary session dedicated entirely to corruption and public financial oversight.

According to Parliament's Press Office, senior officials from the Federal Board of Supreme Audit will attend the session to present and discuss the findings of the 7,000-page report in accordance with Iraq's Financial Law.

Lawmakers are expected to review the audit's findings, examine government expenditures throughout 2025, and discuss new oversight mechanisms aimed at preventing further misuse of public funds and strengthening accountability across state institutions.

Campaign Expected to Continue

Operation Dawn has evolved into one of Iraq's most comprehensive anti-corruption campaigns, extending beyond individual arrests to include asset recovery, institutional auditing, and broader financial oversight.

With investigations continuing across multiple ministries and governorates, authorities are pursuing additional corruption cases while Parliament prepares to examine extensive audit findings covering virtually every state institution.

Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi has repeatedly stated that the campaign will continue until all stolen public assets are recovered and those responsible are brought before the courts. The combination of ongoing judicial investigations, nationwide asset seizures, and expanded parliamentary oversight signals that Iraq's anti-corruption drive is expected to remain a central government priority in the months ahead.