Road ahead unclear in aftermath of Tehran attacks

After having thwarted numerous plots to strike Iran, the country has finally been hit by its first Islamic State attack; the question now is what Iran may do next.

Saudi Arabia

Iran says IS attackers fought in Syria and Iraq

Iranian authorities linked the Islamic State attackers to a larger cell whose leader was killed by security forces last year.

Saudi Arabia

'Peace Radio' inspires Iraq's refugees and displaced

Radio Salam in northern Iraq focuses on the refugees and displaced in Iraq to spread hope and peace among them.

Iraq

Islamic State families fear persecution in Iraq

Al-Monitor visited families of Islamic State members being held in isolation in the Shahama camp, near Tikrit. They and aid workers fear what will happen to them if they are unable to rejoin communities outside the camp.

Iraq

Kirkuk’s oil to play big role in Kurdish independence

The post-Islamic State era will be crucial for Kirkuk, as conflicts over the governorate's territory and oil will determine the future of relations between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Iraq

Ankara looks beyond Raqqa offensive for fate of northern Syria

The Turkish government is worried about how the Democratic Union Party will transform northern Syria once the Islamic State is defeated in Raqqa.

Iraq

Kurdish cantons in northern Syria already linked

One of the most heated issues of the Syrian war has been the possibility of Kurdish cantons connecting, overcoming Turkey’s threatening objections. And now, with the Aleppo road open, Kurdish cantons are connected for the first time in four years.

Iraq

Iraqi Kurdistan faces many obstacles to independence referendum

Amid a strong regional disagreement, Iraqi Kurdistan is insisting on holding a referendum on independence in the fall.

Iraq

Tehran, Washington set for proxy clash on Syrian-Iraqi border

Due to its strategic position and impact on the future of Syria, the Iraqi-Syrian border is likely to be the site of a new conflict between the allies of Washington and Tehran soon after the Mosul operation concludes.

Iraq

Interview

Syrian rebel commander: 150 US troops at al-Tanf base

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Lt. Col. Muhannad al-Talla, the commander of Maghawir al-Thawra, speaks of the role of the US-led coalition at al-Tanf military base, which is close to the border between Jordan, Syria and Iraq.

Muhannad al-Talla

Commander of Maghawir al-Thawra

Ex-Islamic State fighters face justice in Mosul

Iraq establishes a special court in Ninevah province to address a large number of terrorist cases related to former Islamic State fighters.

Iraq

Residents of Iraqi Kurdistan stock up on spirits as Ramadan kicks off

Due to the Kurdish region's policy of closing liquor shops during the fasting month of Ramadan, the prices of alcohol on the black market go up, raising the question, especially by Christians, why they have to be penalized by a secular government.

Iraq