ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi civil defense authorities have ordered the closure of 900 non-compliant commercial buildings since the beginning of this year, state media reported, as Baghdad continues its efforts to curb the use of materials that put citizens at risk.

Iraqi civil defense spokesperson Nawas Sabah Shaker told the state-owned al-Sabah newspaper that 900 commercial buildings that failed to comply with safety and fire standards have been closed so far in 2026. 

Civil defense measures focus on “removing highly flammable materials such as sandwich panels, Alucobond, and suspended ceilings, which release toxic gases that are the leading cause of suffocation deaths,” Shaker said.

He explained that the current civil defense law does not grant the authority to directly close government and residential buildings. Instead, the directorate relies on “enforcement and obligating registered entities to issue official notices holding them legally responsible,” namely the interior ministry.

“Electrical short circuits are the leading cause of fires due to chaotic implementation and overlapping energy sources,” he added, noting that there are legislative efforts to amend the civil defense law to tighten fines and expand authority to inspect entities for violations.

In May, the civil defense directorate announced the closure of more than 11,000 buildings and facilities for failing to meet fire safety conditions, which led to a sharp decline of fire cases by 85 percent in 2026, according to a state media report citing Shaker.

In his remarks to state media, Shaker said that the current financial fines ranging between 250 thousand to a million dinars are “insufficient,” pushing for a legislative proposal that raises the fine to ten million Iraqi dinars.