Iraq closes 900 commercial buildings for civil-defense violations in 2026

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Interior Ministry has shut down 900 commercial buildings so far in 2026 for violating civil-defense regulations, an official said, as part of a campaign to protect public safety and reduce accidents. Nivas Sabah Shaker, head of the media and public relations department at the General Directorate of Civil Defense, said inspections and penalties had been stepped up against structures failing to meet safety standards. He noted that inspectors were focusing on the removal of flammable materials such as sandwich panels, aluminum composite panels and non-fireproof secondary ceilings, which release toxic gases when they burn. Shaker said a large share of fire-related deaths occurred from suffocation before flames reached victims. Most closed buildings have since been reopened after deficiencies were corrected, he added. The directorate continues to issue formal notices under Law No. 44 of 2013, placing legal obligations on those responsible and sustaining pressure on both government and residential buildings to comply. Shaker identified electrical faults as the leading cause of fires, citing the unregulated coexistence of four power sources — the national grid, private generators, personal generators and solar energy — as a key factor driving the rise in incidents.