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Iraq

October 24, 2026

Baghdad 11:32 pm

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Iran says deal reached with Iraq to expel Kurdish separatists: What to know

Iran said an agreement was reached with Iraq to expel or hand over members of Kurdish separatist groups based in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Trucks loaded with goods wait to cross over to Syria

Analysis

How Hormuz crisis is reshaping economic ties between Iraq and Syria

Iraq and Syria are expanding trade and energy cooperation, but security risks, economic challenges and longstanding mistrust raise questions about whether their growing partnership can endure.

Shelly Kittleson

By Shelly Kittleson

In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Oct. 14, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Iraq’s Zaidi, Saudi crown prince discuss security as Houthi attacks escalate

Iraq has moved to improve ties with Saudi Arabia after Iran-backed militias struck the kingdom and amid the conflict with the Houthis in Yemen.

Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters arrive in the northern Iraqi city of Dohuk on May 14, 2013, after leaving Turkey as part of a peace drive with Ankara.

Explainer

PKK pulls out of Metina in northern Iraq amid Turkey peace process

The withdrawal comes as the peace process between Turkey and the militant group gains momentum alongside increasing security cooperation between Ankara and Baghdad.

Latest News

Analysis

Why Syria and Iraq are taking different approaches to armed groups

Demonstrators ride through a street while waving Syrian flags

Shelly Kittleson

By Shelly Kittleson

In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics

Iraq devalues dinar 13% as Hormuz disruption hits oil revenue

A man walks past a closed foreign exchange office in Baghdad on October 7, 2026. Iraq's central bank devalued the dinar currency against the dollar on October 7, with the country facing a deepening crisis brought on by the Middle East war. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP via Getty Images)

Explainer

What Iraq’s US troop withdrawal means for security after Kirkuk killings

A member of the Iraqi security forces flashes the victory sign during a military parade

Analysis

After US exit, Iran gains space in Iraq and a harder balancing act

Members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) paramilitary forces stand guard during an election rally for the "Asaib Ahl al-Haq" movement in the capital Baghdad, on October 7, 2021.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Amberin Zaman

Chief Correspondent

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Beatrice Farhat

Associate Editor (Lebanon)

In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict

Suadad al-Salhy

In Baghdad, reporting on politics and security

Lyse Mauvais

In Amman, reporting on humanitarian crises

Winthrop Rodgers

In Sulaymaniyah, reporting on Kurdish issues

Kirkuk provincial Governor Najim al-Din Karim (C-R) raises the Iraqi flag to fly next to the Kurdish flag over a government building in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on March 28, 2017.
Provincial councillors in disputed, oil-rich Kirkuk province voted to fly the Kurdish regional flag over government buildings, a move likely to increase tensions with Baghdad. Only the 25 Kurdish provincial councillors backed the measure, while the 16 Arab and Turkmen members did not take part in the session. / AFP PHOT

Kurdish flag fans controversy in Iraq's Kirkuk

Raising the Kurdistan flag atop the governmental buildings in Kirkuk sparked tension in the province and in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 20: U.S. President Donald J. Trump greets Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi at the White House on March 20, 2017 in Washington DC. The meeting marks Haider al-Abadi's first visit to the US capital sinceTrump's inauguration. (Photo by Chris Kleponis-Pool/Getty Images)

How will Abadi handle Iraq’s Shiite militias?

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi faces a great challenge in dealing with the predominately Shiite Popular Mobilization Units fighting in Iraq, as some of its factions are refusing to be integrated into the army and other security forces.

Torah scrolls are exhibited at the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center in Or Yehuda, near Tel Aviv, in this October 19, 2006 picture. World Jewish groups began a global campaign on Sunday calling for recognition of Jews from Arab countries as refugees in the Middle East conflict. REUTERS/Gil Cohen Magen (ISRAEL) - RTR1IKQX

One man's quest to save the Jewish Iraqi language

Oded Amit, who was born in Baghdad and eventually fled to Israel, has taken it upon himself to teach Israelis of Iraqi immigrants the language of their ancestors in order to preserve it.

An American soldier is seen at the U.S. army base in Qayyara, south of Mosul October 25, 2016. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani - RTX2QEMR

Will US keep military bases in Iraq after IS?

The Iraqi prime minister's recent visit to the United States indicates both parties are interested in maintaining a US presence in Iraq after the Islamic State is forced out. However, Iran-backed militias strongly oppose the idea.

A view of a destroyed museum, where Islamic State militants filmed themselves destroying priceless statues and sculptures in 2015, during a battle against the militants in Mosul, Iraq, March 11, 2017. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RTX30KNF

Calls for support as destroyed Mosul Museum seeks to rebuild

Not much is left of the Mosul Museum, Iraq's second most important museum, after Islamic State militants stole what they could carry and smashed and set the rest on fire.

Iraqi fighters from Hashid Shaabi take part in a training at Makhmur camp in Iraq December 11, 2016. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2UHUT

What role will Iran-linked militias play once IS leaves Iraq?

Despite Iraqi government attempts to control Shiite militias within the Popular Mobilization Units, the groups still are ready and willing to confront Israel and Saudi Arabia outside of Iraq.

People do shopping at Nabi Yunus market after returning to their homes in the city of Mosul, Iraq Picture taken March 19, 2017. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal - RTX32IG2

Why aren't Mosul residents returning to liberated areas?

The residents of Mosul, especially the middle class, are leaving the city in large-scale numbers and have no hope of returning.

Idlib — more than Raqqa — may be decisive Syria fault line

Russian-Turkish agreement under strain in key northern city.

Iraqi federal police forces take on key role in west Mosul

Federal police forces are playing a crucial role in the liberation of Mosul, which will give them an opportunity to maintain security in the city after completing the liberation.

Why one Iraqi female MP is calling for law to encourage polygamy

An Iraqi parliamentarian has proposed a bill to financially compensate men who take on multiple wives.

An Iraqi soldier walks next to a wall painted with the black flag commonly used by Islamic State militants, during a battle with Islamic State militants near Arabi neighborhood, north of Mosul, Iraq, January 21, 2017. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily - RTSWOU6

Iraq’s Sunnis eye post-IS future under regional cover

Under Arab and international sponsorship, Iraq’s Sunni leaders recently attended a conference in Turkey to discuss the future of Sunnis in post-IS Iraq, with the conference sparking Shiite outrage and dissent among other Sunni officials opposed to the Turkish role in Iraq.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 20, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTX31WQK

Iraq PM visits White House amid debate over post-Mosul strategy

With the liberation of Mosul in sight, the Trump administration is internally divided on what formula might bring long-term stability.