Iraq

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.
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.

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

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?


Are Iranian-backed militias in Iraq really ready to hand over weapons? - analysis

A Kataib Hezbollah spokesperson said he “praised what he described as a decision by ‘[armed] brothers not involved in the Islamic Resistance [of Iraq]’ to end their armed activities."

Members of the Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah attend the funeral of their members, who were killed in an airstrike that targeted a Hashd al‑Shaabi headquarters near the western al‑Qaim district on the Syrian border, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 2, 2026.

Iranian regime operative who directed wave of Ashab al-Yamin attacks on Jewish targets indicted

Originally indicted with six counts in a complaint on May 15, the Iraqi and Iranian national was charged on Thursday with conspiring to provide material support to Kataib Hezbollah and the IRGC.

MOHAMMAD BAQER Saad Dawood Al-Saadi standing in front of an array of machineguns in a conference room.

Iraqi Prime Minister urges armed factions to disarm and join state institutions

Newly elected Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi urged armed factions in the country to work “under the umbrella of the state and its official institutions.” 

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi delivers a televised address after assuming office, in Baghdad, Iraq May 16, 2026.

Iraq at a crossroads over militias, as senior commander is killed in car bombing - analysis

A senior commander from Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed faction, was killed and his aide seriously wounded on Thursday when an explosive device detonated in their vehicle.

Fighters of the Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (Loyal Supporters of God) Shiite group parade with their weapons on June 16, 2015 in the southern Iraqi city of Basra during celebrations.

Kurds continue to be under fire even amid ceasefire, fear new deal may not stop Iranian attacks

The new talk of a possible deal that might involve Iran and the US could lead to pressuring Iraq's central government to rein in Iranian-backed militias.

A fighter from the Iranian Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) takes part in a training exercise at a base near Erbil, Iraq, in February.

Voices from the Arab press: Gulf tensions over Iran deepen regional fears

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

US President Donald Trump attends a GCC summit photo session in Riyadh, alongside Qatari, Saudi, and  Bahraini leaders, May 2025.

Iraq’s 1,200-km. trade route could redraw the Middle East - analysis

Iraq has some reticence, in part because Iranian-backed militias in Iraq oppose the new government in Damascus. However, trade may prove more important than sectarian ideology.

Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters gather during an intensive security deployment after Islamic State militants took it over the previous day in Luhaiban village in Kirkuk, Iraq December 6, 2021.

Iraq races to restore ancient Ziggurat of Ur amid threat of climate erosion - report

In a video published in early May, Reuters revealed that the Iraqi government had announced an initial budget of $382,000 to restore the ziggurat. The work will reportedly be completed by July 2026.

Restoration of the ziggurat temple in ancient Ur

ISIS escalates rhetoric, seeks ‘new phase of fighting’ in Syria - analysis

Foreign fighters and sleeper cells remain a security concern as the group tries to revive its networks after years of territorial collapse.

A still image taken from an Islamic State (ISIS) video

UAE says drone that hit near its nuclear plant was launched from Iraq

The head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, Raphael Grossi, warned that a direct hit on the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant would result in a "very high release of radioactivity."

Fire and smoke rise in the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, caused by debris after interception of a drone by air defenses, UAE, March 4, 2026; illustrative.