ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Iraqi government will continue its resolve to combat corruption and bolster the state’s institutions “no matter the challenges or the pressures,” Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said on Saturday, nearly a week after a major anti-graft campaign. 

Iraqi authorities led by Zaidi launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign in the early hours of Sunday, when security forces entered Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, imposed a lockdown, and arrested scores of senior officials and lawmakers over alleged corruption and theft of public resources. 

“Our government is proceeding, with unwavering resolve, in pursuing the corrupt, restoring the state’s rights, and establishing a state of institutions and justice. It will not deviate from this path, no matter the challenges or the pressures,” Zaidi said on X. 

He thanked lawmakers and political and legal forces who have supported the campaign, particularly the Supreme Judicial Council, the National Shiite Movement of prominent cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, the ruling Coordination Framework, and the main Kurdish parties – the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). 

“This broad national support confirms that combating corruption is not just a battle for the government, but a battle for the entire nation,” Zaidi asserted, adding that everyone must unite “in defense of public funds, the rule of law, and the future of Iraq.” 

On Thursday, the Iraqi parliament called on the government to press ahead with its anti-corruption campaign, saying it “demands and obliges” authorities to pursue the country's largest corruption cases without delay.

The statement identified several major corruption cases that parliament wants authorities to pursue, including the Heist of the Century – the largest corruption scandal in Iraq's modern history – which involved the embezzlement of $2.5 billion in tax funds between September 2021 and August 2022. Some estimates place the stolen amount at around $5 billion, with only a small portion of the funds having been recovered.

The Iraqi government has officially confirmed that at least 21 people were detained during Sunday's operation, dubbed Operation Dawn, on corruption charges. Iraqi state media had initially reported that 47 people were arrested.

Among those detained were Sunni Azm Alliance leader Muthanna al-Samarrai, former Wasit Governor Mohammed Jamil al-Mayahi, Oil Ministry Undersecretary Ali Ma’arij al-Bahadli, and Ibrahim al-Sumaidaie, a senior adviser to former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.