Iraq

Saudi Arabia, Middle East neighbors pressure Iraq to rein in Iranian-backed militias - analysis

Iranian-backed militias are using Iraq as a staging ground to launch attacks against neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia, Syria, Kuwait, and Jordan.

Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi speaks during a parliamentary session to vote in a new government headed by Ali al-Zaidi as prime minister, at the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, May 14, 2026.
Security personnel stand guard on the day of a funeral procession for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 in Israeli and US airstrikes, in Najaf, Iraq, July 8, 2026.

US troop pullback raises fears of more attacks on Iraqi Kurdistan - analysis

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu emerged from Tuesday’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, calling it one of the best he has ever had, which is a notable assessment, considering how many times the two men have met over the years.

Beyond the optics: Is the Netanyahu-Trump rift real, or are they still aligned on Iran?

Damage at a site belonging to Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) following airstrikes that the PMF said were carried out by US and Saudi forces, in Bartella, Nineveh province, Iraq, July 29, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone.

Middle East divided as Iran war, Houthi-Saudi Arabia tensions continue to ramp up


Iraqi prime minister to visit Washington on Monday, oil and gas deals expected

"The agreements to be signed will include several memorandums of understanding in the oil and gas sector as Iraq prepares to bring in various US companies," a government spokesperson said.

Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi speaks during a parliamentary session to vote in a new government headed by Ali al-Zaidi as prime minister, at the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, May 14, 2026.

Can Kurdistan follow Israel's lead to become the Middle East's next Start-Up Nation? - analysis

Kurdistan does not need to copy Israel, but it can learn from its journey from a small and politically uncertain environment to a start-up and tech superpower.

Image Reboot: A female fighter from from the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK)  trains at a base near Erbil, Iraq, in Feb.

German military to leave base in Erbil, northern Iraq by September, Spiegel reports

German troops are set to withdraw from Erbil, Iraq, by the end of September following a broader effort to reduce Germany's Middle East presence due to the Iran war.

German Bundeswehr troops march during a public ceremony to mark the expansion of Germany's Lithuania military commitment on February 4, 2026.

Coffin of Iran's slain supreme leader Khamenei arrives in Iraqi holy city for funeral processions

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and senior Iraqi officials received the coffin at Najaf International Airport ahead of funeral ceremonies and a mass public procession, state TV reported.

A vehicle carrying the coffin of Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei makes its way as people attend Khamenei's funeral procession, in Najaf, Iraq, July 8, 2026

What a night at the Tel Aviv opera reveals about Israel's abnormal reality - opinion

Tel Aviv’s Nabucco gala becomes a surreal night of opera, sirens, and ancient prophecy colliding with present-day missile threats.

Verdi's Glorious ‘Nabucco’ opera is based on Jeremiah’s thundering prophecy.

The Gulf wants to end attacks from Iraq, but will it influence Baghdad before Iran does? - analysis

Tehran's more recent expansion of attacks toward the Gulf shows a broader Iranian strategy and proves how Iran made Iraq a frontline.

 Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, US President Donald Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa attend a group photo session with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2025.

Voices from the Arab press: Handing the Strait of Hormuz to Iran and the Gulf

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

 Strait pf Hormuz: Iranian policeman?

Iraq, Turkey discuss protocol to keep oil exports flowing, Iraqi foreign ministry says

Iraq and Turkey are expected to sign an executive protocol to ensure the continuation of Iraqi oil exports.

 TURKEY-IRAQ-KURDS-MILITARY-DRILL A photographer takes pictures as soldiers stand next to tanks bearing Turkish and Iraqi flags during a joint military exercise near the Turkish-Iraqi border at Silopi district in Sirnak on September 26, 2017.

US resumes transfer of American currency to Iraq after Iran-related suspension - report

The report cited an Iraqi Kurdish official who attributed the measures as a response to the smuggling of US dollars by Iran-backed Iraqi militias.

 An American $100 dollar bill.

Is a new insurgency brewing? Kurdish rebels clash with IRGC in major border escalation - analysis

Tasnim News, which is an IRGC-affiliated network, reported that “two members of Iran’s IRGC were killed and two others were injured in an ‘armed terrorist attack.'"

Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) run across a street in Raqqa, Syria, July 3, 2017.