Iraq

Saudi Arabia facing Iranian proxies alone as US opts out of strikes - analysis

Targeted by Iraqi militias and pressured by Houthi advances, Riyadh must restore deterrence on two fronts as critical infrastructure comes under renewed threat from Iranian proxies.

Houthi fighters stand in front of what they say is a downed Saudi jet, at a location given as Yemen, in this still image from a handout video released on September 16, 2026.
Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters gather during a security deployment in Luhaiban village in Kirkuk Monday, 6th December 2021

Kurdish Peshmerga completes its long process of unification - explainer

A court building, where six French nationals accused of belonging to Islamic State are standing trial, in Baghdad, Iraq, September 20, 2026.

Six French Islamic State suspects could face death penalty as Iraqi court opens trial

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during the opening ceremony of the Damascus International Fair in Damascus, Syria, August 26, 2026.

Sharaa secretly building up Syrian military, raising red flags in Israeli security community


Rocket attack hits Iranian-Kurdish opposition camp near Erbil, security sources say

The sources reported that there were no casualties, blaming Iran for the attack.

Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party, known as PAK take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq February 12, 2026.

Outrage in Iraq after female detainee allegedly gang-raped by police, prison officials

A probe was launched after officials discovered surveillance cameras had been turned off at an Iraqi police station where a detainee was allegedly assaulted.

Illustrative: An Iraq police man stands with Iraqi soldiers as they man a fixed checkpoint close to the scene of an explosion in central Baghdad on November 15, 2008.

Tehran’s control over Baghdad may create conditions for more extreme protests, expert tells ‘Post’

Iraq’s failure to pay July salaries could trigger wider, potentially violent protests as oil export disruptions and US financial controls strain Baghdad, an expert said.

Oil trucks arrive from Iraq, on their way to the Baniyas oil terminal, in Qamishli, Syria, May 11, 2026..

US removes counterterrorism designation from IRGC-linked company

A Treasury Department official said that the removal of sanctions was not indicative of a shift in US policy towards Iran or the IRGC, or negotiations to end the conflict in the Middle East.

 The United States Department of the Treasury is seen in Washington, DC, US, August 30, 2020.

Iraq struggles to pay public salaries as Strait of Hormuz crisis deepens

Iraq’s oil exports plunged from 100 million barrels in February to around 32 million in May and June, according to figures shown to The National by the country’s Oil Ministry.

This frame grab taken from AFPTV video footage on July 12, 2026 shows cargo ships anchoring near the Strait of Hormuz; illustrative

Iraq delays July public salaries as Strait of Hormuz blockade guts oil revenue

Iraq’s oil exports plunged from 100 million barrels in February to around 32 million in May and June, according to figures shown to The National by the country’s Oil Ministry.

Shia Muslims gather along the Bayn al-Haramayn or "between the two sanctuaries", a 378-meter open marble-paved avenue linking the Imam Hussein Shrine and Imam al-Abbas Shrine, in the city of Karbala on August 4, 2026.

Turkey to submit draft law allowing thousands of former PKK members to return, aims to end conflict

The draft law, some details of which surfaced last November, is focused on managing the return of PKK fighters and civilians from hideouts in northern Iraq, setting out how they will be processed.

Fighters with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) walk for a disarmament ceremony marking a significant step toward ending the decades-long conflict between Turkey and the outlawed group, in the Qandil mountains, Iraq October 26, 2025.

Syrian military raises alert level amid movements near Iraqi border

It also remained unclear whether the military movements had affected border crossings or civilian and commercial traffic between the two countries.  

Cars and coaches line up at al-Tanf crossing on the border between Iraq and Syria, some 300 km southeast of Damascus March 20, 2003. Border traffic remained normal after the start of a U.S.-led attack on Iraq at dawn on Thursday, despite fears that there would be an influx of refugees.

Trump’s Syria-Iraq pipeline plan aims to weaken Iran’s leverage - opinion

Trump is backing a revived Iraq-Syria oil pipeline to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and reshape Middle East energy.

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during a bilateral meeting alongside the NATO leaders summit in Ankara, last month.

Iran attacks US base in Kuwait, vessel hit by projectile near Strait of Hormuz

The United Kingdom Maritime and Trade Operations (UKMTO) center said in a post on X/Twitter that a cargo vessel had been hit by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman.

Smoke billows near the oil facility in Mangaf, Kuwait, July 18, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video.