Baghdad raids target politicians and senior officials in graft campaign

Iraqi security forces arrested several politicians, lawmakers and senior officials in Baghdad in early-morning raids tied to an anti-corruption drive, Al Jazeera reported on June 28, 2026. The operation matters because it points to an aggressive opening move by Iraq’s new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, against alleged graft inside the political system.

According to Al Jazeera, al-Zaidi ordered the campaign, and elite Counter Terrorism Service units took part in the arrests. The broadcaster reported that operations were carried out across Baghdad, including inside the heavily secured Green Zone.

The Green Zone houses key Iraqi government institutions and foreign missions. Al Jazeera did not name the detained officials or report the exact number of people arrested.

The report said the arrests included politicians, members of parliament and senior officials. It did not provide details on specific corruption allegations, possible charges or whether any of those detained had appeared before a court.

The involvement of Counter Terrorism Service units signals that Iraqi authorities treated the raids as a high-security operation, according to Al Jazeera’s account. The service is among Iraq’s elite security forces and was reported to have conducted operations in the Green Zone.

Al-Zaidi was described by Al Jazeera as Iraq’s new prime minister. The arrests were presented as part of a broader anti-corruption campaign ordered by his government.

No further details were reported on whether additional arrests were planned, how long the campaign would run, or which government bodies were overseeing the cases after the raids. Al Jazeera also did not report responses from the detained officials or their representatives.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.