Events in the year 2022 in Iraq.

Incumbents

Events

January

  • 10 January – Newly elected Iraqi parliament meets for the first time. The session is briefly disrupted as the acting speaker fell ill and is taken to the hospital. The session resumed and Mohammed al-Halbousi is elected as speaker.[1]
  • 21 January – Diyala massacre, eleven Iraqi soldiers were killed in their barracks by IS in Al-Azim.[2]
  • 22 January – Airstrike near the ancient city of Hatra kills 3 suspected IS members including 2 leaders.[3]

February

  • 6 February – 337 ancient artifacts, which were held in a private Lebanese museum, are returned to Iraq.[4]
  • 7 February – Iraqi parliament postpones the election of the president of Iraq, amid wide boycotts of the session and corruption charges against one of the candidates. The deadlock further pushes back the appointment of a new prime minister.[5]
  • 8 February – Seven IS leaders reported to be killed in airstrikes in northern Iraq.[6][7]
  • 22 February – The UN Security Council votes unanimously to end Iraq’s requirement to pay reparations to Kuwait for the 1990 invasion. Iraq had previously paid more than 50 billion dollars to settle the claims of around 1.5 million claimants.[8]

March

  • 13 March – Erbil missile attacks, three killed, seven injured in missile strikes by the IRGC.[9]
  • 30 March – Iraqi parliament fails to elect a president for the 3rd time since the October 2021 elections.[10]

April

  • 17 ِApril –Images of Sawa Lake in southern Iraq drying up spread on Iraqi social media, causing outrage and concern over the effects of climate change ad lack of any government plans to counter it.[11]
  • 18 April – Turkiye launches a new offensive against PKK fighters in northern Iraq.[12]

May

  • 1 May
    • Six missiles hit an oil refinery in Erbil, causing a fire.[13]
    • An estimated 3,000 displaced due to clashes between YBS and the Iraqi Army with support from the Turkish Army and the KDP.[14]
  • 5 May – Sandstorm sweeps across Iraq, causing one death and thousands hospitalized for respiratory symptoms.[15]
  • 16 May – Another Sandstorm, the eighth since April, hits several Iraqi cities, causing the closure of schools and Iraqi airspace.[16]
  • 22 May – Iraq reports an outbreak of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, with 212 cases and 27 deaths since January 2022.[17]
  • 26 May – Iraqi parliament passes a law criminalizing any attempts at normalization with Israel, which Iraq has never recognized.[18]
  • 31 May – An international team of archaeologists researching in northern Iraq announces the finding of a 'lost' city from the Mitanni Empire, estimated at 3,400 years old. The city was reveled due to severe draught of the Tigris river.[19]

June

July

  • 14–17 July – A series of recordings, attributed to Nouri al-Maliki, are leaked. The recordings spark controversy because they contain attacks on other politicians as well as alluding to potential breakout of violence in the country.[22][23]
  • 20 July – Zakho resort attack, nine killed, thirty-three injured in shelling on the Barakh resort by either the KDP or the Turkish Armed Forces perpetrated the attacks.[24]
  • 26 July – At an emergency UN security council meeting, Iraqi foreign minister demands Turkish forces withdraw from all Iraqi territories.[25]
  • 27 July – Four mortar shells hit the surroundings of the Turkish consulate in Mosul, with no reported casualties.[26]
  • 27–31 July – Protesters affiliated with the Sadrist movement storm the parliament building in Baghdad and occupy it for few days.[27]

August

  • 1 August – Thousands of counter protesters gather around the green zone in Baghdad, protesting against he Sadrist protesters who have been occupying the parliament building.[28]
  • 4 August – A heatwave hits several Iraqi cities causing them to be listed among the hottest places in the world. State employees were given the day off as temperature reached 50C(or 122F), with Basra giving 4 days off to all employees.[29]
  • 20 August – Eight dead and several injured after a landslide caused the collapse of a Shia shrine in Karbala.[30]
  • 29–30 August – Muqtada Al-Sadr announces his retirement from politics. After the announcement clashes breakout between his supporters who stormed the government palace and security forces.[31] The clashes, which lasted two days, resulted in 30 dead and about 700 injured.[32] The protesters withdrew from the green zone on the afternoon of the second day after Al-Sader called for a "peaceful revolution".[33]

September

  • 1 September – Clashes between Al-Sader followers and another Shia militia, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, leaves 4 dead in Basra.[34]
  • 2 September – Thousands of protesters gather in Baghdad to demand change and end to corruption, after fears the latest series of clashes can lead to more destabilization.[34]
  • 29 September – Iranian missile and drone attack claiming to target Iranian Kurdish dissidents in Kurdistan leaves 14 dead including 1 American citizen.[35]

October

  • 3 October – The building for the national medical laboratory in Baghdad collapses leaving 4 dead while 13 others rescued from the rubble.[36][37]
  • 7 October – One person killed and 4 injured in a rigged car explosion.[38]
  • 12 October – Iraqi authorities opens an investigation in the operation that later became known as "heist of the century", in which about 2.5 Million dollars were stolen from the tax office between October 2021 and August 2022.[39]
  • 13 October –
    • At least 10 people injured in a Katyusha rocket attack on the green zone, targeting the parliament session meant to select a new president.[40]
    • After almost a year of deadlock, Iraqi parliament selects Abdul Latif Rashid as the new president of Iraq. The president in turn nominated Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani for the prime minister office.[40]
  • 19 October – Archologists in Iraq announce the discovery of unique ancient carvings during the restoration of Nineveh Mashki Gate.[41]
  • 24 October – The prime suspect in the "heist of the century", Nour Zuhair, is arrested at Bagdad's international airport while attempting to flee the country.[42]
  • 27 October – Parliament approves the prime minister designate Al Sudani and his cabinet.[43]

November

  • 1–11 November – Baghdad International fair is held for the first time in 3 years with 363 foreign and local companies attending.[44]
  • 3 November –The AL-Chadirji building, which is 3 story shopping center that houses many commercial outlets in Baghdad, is closed down after photos of cracks in its walls spread over social media. The concern over building's integrity, prompted by the incident of the National medical laboratory in October, lead the government to conduct a survey and decide the building is in danger of collapse.[37]
  • 17 November – Sulaymaniyah gas tank explosion, fifteen killed and a dozen more injured in explosions of a residential area.[45]

December

  • 18 December – Kirkuk bombing, nine security forces killed when an IED attacks their convoy followed by a firefight with IS, killing one.[46]
  • 20 December – Iraq attends the second Baghdad Conference for Cooperation held in Jordan to discuss the security of Iraq and the region. The summit was attended by representatives of several countries such as Saudi Arabia, France, Turkey, and Egypt.[47]
  • 23 December – Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni visits Italian tropes stationed in Iraq as well as meeting Iraqi officials on her first bilateral trip outside Europe.[48]

Deaths

Weather

See also

Country overviews

References

  1. ^ Rasheed, Ahmed & Khadim, Haider (January 10, 2022). "Iraq's new parliament elects speaker in first step towards establishing a govt"
  2. ^ "Eleven Iraqi soldiers killed in overnight attack on army base by IS group". France 24. 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
  3. ^ "Iraqi airstrike kills three ISIS suspects". www.rudaw.net. 22 January 2022. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  4. ^ "لبنان يعيد 337 قطعة أثرية من عصور مختلفة إلى العراق" (in Arabic). العربية. 2022-02-06. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  5. ^ "Iraq's parliament indefinitely postpones presidential election". France 24. 2022-02-07. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  6. ^ "7 IS terrorists killed by airstrike in Iraq". ANI News. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  7. ^ "تدمير مقر "قيادة وسيطرة" لداعش بين نينوى وصلاح الدين" (in Arabic). قناه السومرية العراقية. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  8. ^ "UN ends Iraq's requirement to pay victims of Kuwait invasion". AP News. 2022-02-23. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  9. ^ "IRGC confirms it hit Mossad training centers inside Iraqi Kurdistan - Tehran Times". 2022-03-14. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
  10. ^ "Iraq MPs fail for third time to elect new president". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
  11. ^ "صور حزينة لجفاف بحيرة ساوة الشهيرة تصدم العراقيين" (in Arabic). الجزيرة نت. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
  12. ^ "Turkey launches new offensive against Kurdish rebels in Iraq". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
  13. ^ "Missile attack causes tank fire in oil refinery in Iraq". Reuters. Archived 2023-02-08 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
  14. ^ "Estimated 3,000 people flee armed clashes in northern Iraq". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
  15. ^ "Thousands sickened, one dead as latest severe sandstorm hits Iraq". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
  16. ^ "Iraq hit by another sandstorm, Baghdad airport closes airspace". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
  17. ^ "Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever - Iraq". www.who.int. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
  18. ^ "Iraq makes it illegal to attempt normalising ties with Israel". 26 May 2022. Archived May 26, 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  19. ^ "Ancient city in Iraq unearthed after extreme drought". NBC News. 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  20. ^ "Iraqi leaders vow to move ahead after dozens quit parliament". The Independent. Archived 2024-12-20 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
  21. ^ "Iraq parliament swears in new members after dozens walk out". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
  22. ^ "تسريب جديد لنوري المالكي يحذر فيه من حرب طاحنة في العراق" (in Arabic). الجزيرة نت. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
  23. ^ "Secret recordings deepen political crisis in Iraq". France 24. 2022-07-16. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
  24. ^ AFP. "Five Iraqis killed in shelling officials blame on Turkey". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Archived 2022-07-20 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  25. ^ "At UN, Iraq's Foreign Minister Demands Withdrawal of Turkish Forces". Voice of America. 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
  26. ^ "القنصلية التركية في الموصل يتعرض للقصف بأربعة صواريخ" (in Arabic). BBC News عربي. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
  27. ^ "Hundreds of protesters camp at Iraq parliament for a second day". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
  28. ^ "Iraq tensions soar as thousands join counter-rally against parliament occupation". France 24. 2022-08-01. Retrieved 2025-03-09.
  29. ^ "Workers in Iraq get day off as temperatures pass 50C". 2022-08-04. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  30. ^ "Iraq shrine collapse: Eight bodies pulled from rubble after landslide". 2022-08-21. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  31. ^ "Clashes erupt after Iraqi Shiite cleric resigns, 15 dead". AP News. 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  32. ^ Rasheed, Zaheena & Kestler-D'Amours, Jillian (29 August 2022). "Iraq updates: Deadly clashes erupt after Muqtada al-Sadr quits". Al Jazeera. Archived 2025-02-15 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  33. ^ "Peace Returns to Baghdad after Cleric's Supporters Leave Green Zone". Voice of America. 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  34. ^ "Thousands in Iraq demand regime change after Shia factions clash". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  35. ^ Jalabi, Raya (2022-09-30). "US citizen killed in Iranian attack in northern Iraq". Financial Times. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  36. ^ فاخر, عادل. "الجميع يتهرّب.. انهيار مبنى صحي في بغداد يخلّف جدلا حول الجهة المسؤولة" (in Arabic). الجزيرة نت. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  37. ^ "بغداد.. مديرية ناحية المنصور تُغلق بناية الجادرجي بالكامل » وكالة بغداد اليوم الاخبارية" (in Arabic). وكالة بغداد اليوم الاخبارية. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  38. ^ "Car bombing in Iraq's Erbil kills one, wounds four". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  39. ^ "السلطات العراقية تفتح تحقيقاً في "سرقة" 2,5 مليار دولار من أموال الضرائب" (in Arabic). euronews. 2022-10-16. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  40. ^ "Iraq gets new president and prime minister after year of deadlock". France 24. 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  41. ^ "Ancient carvings found in Iraq amid work to restore Mashki Gate". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  42. ^ ""سرقة القرن" في العراق.. توقيف المتهم الرئيسي قبل فراره بطائرة خاصة | الحرة" (in Arabic). www.alhurra.com. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  43. ^ "Iraqi parliament approves new government headed by Mohammed Shia al-Sudani". Reuters. Archived 2023-09-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  44. ^ AlrasheedMedia (2022-11-01). "بمشاركة 363 شركة.. انطلاق فعاليات معرض بغداد الدولي" (in Arabic). قناة الرشيد الفضائية. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  45. ^ "تەقینەوەیەک لە سلێمانی روویدا". rudaw.net. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  46. ^ "At least nine police killed in blast near Iraq's Kirkuk". www.aljazeera.com. Archived 2022-12-18 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2022-12-18.
  47. ^ "Middle Eastern, European leaders meet in Jordan to discuss security in Iraq". France 24. 2022-12-20. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  48. ^ "Economic ties head the agenda as Italy's Meloni visits Iraq". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  49. ^ إذهيب, علي كريم. "غيّبه الموت قبل أيام.. من هو سنان الشبيبي عراب السياسة النقدية في العراق؟" (in Arabic). الجزيرة نت. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  50. ^ Schmitt, Eric & Hubbard, Ben (2022-02-03). "ISIS Leader Killed: U.S. Evacuated 10 Civilians During Raid, Pentagon Says". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  51. ^ SyriacPress (2022-02-14). "Syriac churches and Iraqi officials send condolences on the death of Patriarch Mar Addai II Giwargis.". Syriac Press. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  52. ^ "“طائر الجنوب”.. حسب الشيخ جعفر ينهي رحلة التحليق بسماء الشعر العراقي" (in Arabic). الجزيرة نت. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  53. ^ "الموت يغيب الشريف علي بن الحسين وريث العرش الملكي في العراق" (in Arabic). الجزيرة نت. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  54. ^ "وفاة مدرب العراق السابق بعد صراع مع المرض" (in Arabic). بوابة الأهرام. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  55. ^ "وفاة وزير الثقافة السابق عبد الامير الحمداني" (in Arabic). وكالة تقدم الاخبارية. 2022-04-28. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
  56. ^ "أسير “الغربة والضياع” الناقم على كل الأنظمة.. رحيل الشاعر العراقي مظفر النواب" (in Arabic). الجزيرة نت. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  57. ^ "وفاة حامد يوسف حمادي وزير الثقافة في عهد صدام حسين | التلفزيون العربي" (in Arabic). التلفزيون العربي. Archived 2022-06-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  58. ^ "اعتداء بالضرب يودي بحياة نجم الكرة العراقية السابق حيدر عبد الرزاق". 5 June 2022.
  59. ^ "وفاة أول محافظ للانبار بعد عام 2003 » وكالة بغداد اليوم الاخبارية" (in Arabic). وكالة بغداد اليوم الاخبارية. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  60. ^ "وفاة الفريق المتقاعد وفيق السامرائي" [The death of the retired team Wafiq Al-Samarrai] (in Arabic). وكالة الصحافة المستقلة. 2022-08-30. Archived 2022-09-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  61. ^ "أحد رموز جيل الستينيات.. وفاة الشاعر والأديب العراقي سامي مهدي" (in Arabic). الجزيرة نت. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  62. ^ "وفاة الرسام العراقي سالم الدباغ" (in Arabic). قناة التغيير الفضائية. 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  63. ^ الوطن (2022-12-19). "العراق.. وفاة نائب رئيس الوزراء الأسبق سلام الزوبعي" (in Arabic). الوطن. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  64. ^ "Iraq dust storm leaves 5,000 people needing treatment". BBC News. 2022-05-05. Retrieved 2022-05-06.