“In celebration of sovereignty.” The Iraqi government suspends official working hours for 4 days

The Iraqi Council of Ministers announced, on Saturday, that it had decided to suspend official working hours, starting from Wednesday until next Saturday, according to a statement published by the Iraqi News Agency, “INA.” The Iraqi Prime Minister’s Media Office stated in a statement, on Sunday, that “The Council of Ministers decided to suspend official working hours in state institutions, starting from Wednesday, September 30, until Saturday, October 3, in celebration of (the days of sovereignty) of the Republic of Iraq.”

The decision coincides with what was previously announced by the Iraqi and American sides, that September 30 has been set as the date for the end of the mission of the American and international coalition forces and the start of their departure from the country. Recently, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, and the Commander of the US Central Command, Charles Brad Cooper, confirmed “the complete and final agreement to end the international coalition’s military mission” in the country.

Al-Zaidi stressed "commitment to the agreed upon timetables, which stipulate that September 30 will be a fixed and final date for ending the military mission of the international coalition in Iraq, and completing the departure of its forces." While Iraq considers that the international coalition's mission has ended on its territory, officials indicated that coalition operations are continuing against ISIS and other terrorist groups in Syria.

The US withdrawal may strengthen the government's position in negotiations on the disarmament of non-state armed groups, as some Iranian-backed militias have cited the US presence to justify retaining their weapons. US forces began gradually reducing their presence over several years, at the request of the Iraqi government in 2023.