Iraq’s defense minister cites urgent staffing shortages, confirms South Korea air defense deal

BAGHDAD — Defense Minister Thabet Al-Abbasi said Iraq is facing a “real need” for military volunteers, citing injuries, staffing gaps, and an aging force, and revealed that the army currently requires approximately 60,000 new recruits.

“The ideal age for an effective soldier is from 18 to 35,” Al-Abbasi told Alsharqiya TV, noting that this group makes up only 10 to 15% of the army, while the remainder are older. “We need to inject new blood,” he added.

Al-Abbasi also confirmed that Iraq will receive a new air defense system from South Korea in early 2026, calling it “a very advanced weapon.”

The South Korean KM-SAM air defense system, also known as “Cheongung,” is designed to intercept aircraft and ballistic missiles. Calls to strengthen Iraq’s defenses grew after June’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran, when both sides used Iraqi airspace. Iraq later lodged a complaint with the United Nations Security Council, accusing Israel of violating its sovereignty.

Commenting on broader challenges, the minister pointed to insufficient defense funding and called Nineveh’s budget “unsatisfactory,” referencing outstanding compensation claims and unrepaired homes.

Al-Abbasi is also contesting the upcoming parliamentary elections as a candidate for the Hasm bloc in Nineveh governorate.

Excerpts from Thabet Al-Abbasi’s interview with Alsharqiya TV:

We headed to South Korea to be supplied with an air defense system, which is a very advanced weapon and it will be received at the beginning of 2026.

The Iraqi army has a real need for volunteers, as there is a large number of wounded, and a significant vacancy due to deletion and creation [of positions], so we need to inject new blood. The army currently needs around 60,000 fighters.

The ideal age for an effective soldier is from 18 to 35, and these ages make up 10 to 15% of the Iraqi army. As for the rest of the personnel, all of them are older than that.

The Minister of Defense’s powers are absolute, and among the minister’s powers is the ability to grant some powers to the Chief of Staff of the Army or to anyone he chooses. The main obstacle I faced is the lack of sufficient funds allocated to the defense budget.

The Nineveh budget is unsatisfactory, and we have files that must be addressed as quickly as possible. A good example is the compensation file, and until now, many homes have not been repaired, and families have not returned, because they “do not have a single dinar.”

Relying on Nineveh’s share of the budget is a big problem, as Nineveh’s share is 11% in the Ministry of Planning, and even this number, not even half of it reaches the governorate.

The Development Road is a project that supports Iraq’s economy in general and also Nineveh, and we may have a border crossing with Turkey, where trade will become very active.

Security and criminal incidents in Nineveh are almost zero, and the social fabric in Nineveh is incredibly cohesive.

Some direct blame at the people of Nineveh for what happened [in the ISIS era], while the security forces were partners with Al-Qaeda in extortion and blackmail, where there was abuse and oppression that the people were subjected to. This would make them not only cooperate with ISIS, but even with the blue devil. Whoever drove his citizens to this state has no right to hold the citizen accountable. We demand that the investigation results be presented publicly, so we may know who is responsible for what happened in Nineveh.