Yasin al-Hashimi

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Yasin al-Hashimi (born Yasin Hilmi Salman; 1884 – 21 January 1937) was an Iraqi military officer and politician who served as Prime Minister of Iraq twice. He started as an Ottoman Army officer and joined Arab nationalist groups that supported Faisal’s rule after World War I. He helped lead the Arab Army in Syria and Iraq and led the Iraqi-dominated wing of the al-Ahd movement. He was briefly arrested by the British in 1919 for recruiting against French influence, and released in 1920.

Back in Iraq, he held various government posts and, in 1924, was named prime minister after the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty negotiations. He also ran the defense and foreign ministries. He left office in June 1925 and founded opposition parties, later forming alliances with Ja’far Abu Timman.

He returned as prime minister in March 1935. His government expanded security powers and pushed for conscription during a period of tribal uprisings. In 1936 a military coup led by Bakr Sidqi forced him from power, and he went into exile in Lebanon. He died in Beirut on 21 January 1937.

His brother Taha al-Hashimi also served as Iraqi prime minister, in 1941. Yasin al-Hashimi’s career reflects Iraq’s early struggles as it moved toward independence amid internal and regional pressures.