{
  "id": 20127231,
  "title": "Iraq sacks nine officials over oil smuggling in pro-Iran group's bastion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/iraq-sacks-nine-officials-over-oil-smuggling-in-pro-iran-groups",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-15T06:32:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Middle East Eye",
    "slug": "middle-east-eye",
    "url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/iraq-sacks-nine-officials-over-oil-smuggling-pro-iran-groups-bastion"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has dismissed nine officials, including security and intelligence officers, following an investigation into allegations of oil smuggling in Jurf al-Sakher, a region controlled by the Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah group. The investigation, conducted by a committee that included members of Kataeb Hezbollah, found evidence of crude oil and oil-derivatives smuggling operations in the area, according to state news agency INA. The sacked officials will be referred to the judiciary.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Iraq PM targets powerful militia stronghold in $30m oil smuggling probe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/iraq-pm-targets-powerful-militia-stronghold-in-30m-oil-smuggling-probe",
        "published": "2026-11-14T23:34:37.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Iraq PM sacks nine officials over alleged oil smuggling in pro-Iran group stronghold",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/iraq-pm-sacks-nine-officials-over-alleged-oil-smuggling-in-pro-iran",
        "published": "2026-11-15T01:58:49.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}