Military denies reports of leadership changes in security institutions

BAGHDAD — The spokesperson for Iraq’s commander-in-chief of the armed forces on Friday denied reports circulating on social media claiming that changes were planned for senior military and security leadership positions.

In a statement, Sabah al-Numan said reports regarding the dismissal, appointment or rotation of senior leaders in military and security institutions were “entirely false and have no basis in reality.”

“The current leaders continue to perform their duties and national responsibilities with efficiency and competence in accordance with the approved strategic plans to maintain security and stability,” he said.

Al-Numan called on media outlets and social media users to exercise caution and rely exclusively on official sources for information, urging them not to be misled by anonymous accounts and unverified reports.

The Defense Ministry issued a separate statement reaffirming its legal right to take action against anyone who deliberately publishes or promotes what it described as “false news and rumors” targeting the military institution, its commanders and personnel.

Reports claiming that broad military and security changes were planned in Iraq have circulated widely on social media in recent days.

The statements come days after the government launched the first phase of its weapons handover and security integration plan in Samarra. On Thursday, Security Media Cell head Saad Maan announced that “the first step and operation to implement what was prepared by the higher committee formed to execute the weapons handover and security integration plan began in Samarra, and it is part of the government program.”

The initiative followed a series of political and security developments, including Muqtada al-Sadr’s announcement that Saraya al-Salam would come under state authority and the Coordination Framework’s endorsement of restricting weapons to state control and separating armed groups from political affiliations.