Peregraf- Iraq's Communications and Media Commission (CMC) said it has seized the movable and immovable assets of Korek Telecom as part of efforts to recover what officials describe as massive unpaid financial obligations owed by the telecom operator.
In a televised interview on Al-Awla Channel, Balegh Abu Kalal, head of the CMC's executive body, said Iraqi banks had been contacted to collect financial dues linked to Korek's accounts over the past three years.
"The Commission has recovered all of the company's funds and financial assets after seizing its movable and immovable property," Abu Kalal said, adding that Korek no longer possesses sufficient assets or real estate to cover the scale of its obligations.
The remarks mark the latest escalation in a prolonged dispute between Iraq's telecommunications regulator and Korek, one of the country's largest mobile operators. Iraqi lawmakers, including the head of parliament's transport and communications committee, previously estimated the company's debts to the commission at nearly two trillion Iraqi dinars — about $1.5 billion — tied largely to unpaid licensing fees and regulatory obligations.
The standoff has disrupted telecommunications services for subscribers across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. In November 2023, the commission blocked portions of Korek's services over unpaid dues, before later suspending the company's internet operations in February 2025 over what regulators described as continued noncompliance.
Abu Kalal rejected claims that the commission owes money to Korek, saying any rulings issued by courts outside the telecommunications appeals framework "have no legal value." He said the commission had successfully challenged such decisions before competent judicial authorities.
The commission also defended its broader regulatory role over Iraq's media and digital sectors, insisting that its actions are conducted within legal procedures and subject to multiple layers of oversight, including specialized committees and judicial appeal boards linked to the Supreme Judicial Council.
For Korek, however, the mounting legal pressure and continuing service disruptions have deepened uncertainty over the company's future, as regulators intensify efforts to recover billions in unpaid debts while subscribers continue to face network instability.