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Iraq

October 25, 2026

Baghdad 7:33 am

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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

A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter with Milan anti tank weapon guards against possible Islamic State suicide bomb attacks during a battle with Islamic State militants at Topzawa village, near Bashiqa, near Mosul, Iraq October 24, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah - RTX2Q845

The many dimensions of Mosul, and what comes next

There's much more at play in Mosul than a campaign for its immediate liberation from the Islamic State.

Flames emerge from a pipeline at the oil fields in Basra, southeast of Baghdad, Iraq October 14, 2016. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani - RTSS8IG

How oil is bringing Iraq, Egypt closer

Iraq is planning to supply Egypt with a million barrels of oil as both countries face a deteriorating relationship with Saudi Arabia.

A man waves a Kurdistan flag as a Turkish military truck escorts a convoy of peshmerga vehicles at Habur border gate, which separates Turkey from Iraq, near the town of Silopi in southeastern Turkey, October 29, 2014. Iraqi peshmerga fighters arrived in southeastern Turkey early on Wednesday ahead of their planned deployment to the Syrian town of Kobani to help fellow Kurds repel an Islamic State advance, a Reuters witness said. REUTERS/Kadir Baris (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY CONFLICT TPX IMAGES OF TH

Why KRG will remain Turkey’s main ally in Iraq

Despite warnings from Turkish nationalist quarters about ultimate Kurdish aspirations, Ankara and Erbil are likely to maintain their pragmatic ties.

Iraqi army vehicles are seen pushing into Topzawa village during the operation against Islamic State militants near Bashiqa, near Mosul, Iraq October 24, 2016. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari - RTX2Q8P7

Anti-IS troops are gaining ground on multiple fronts in Iraq

Strong collaboration is helping various Iraqi forces and the international alliance to advance toward the city of Mosul from all directions in the battle against the Islamic State.

Women waiting their turn at Ashti clinic in Erbil. Gynelogical visits are provided twice a week and they visit around 30 women each day.

Displaced women care for their own as Mosul battle rages

As the Mosul operation sends more patients, limited medical staff — themselves displaced — are struggling to provide treatment and health care to a growing number of displaced families.

Iranian soldiers participate in military manoeuvres on the outskirts of the northeastern Iranian town of Torbat-E-Jam, near Mashhad, on November 17, 2015. Iran started military manoeuvres to respond to possible attacks by armed groups, such as the Islamic State (IS) group, a military commander said according to ISNA. AFP PHOTO / ISNA / HOSSEIN HOSSEINZADEH (Photo credit should read HOSSEIN HOSSEINZADEH/AFP/Getty Images)

Iran’s new challenge: The Islamic State in Persia?

Though Iran has announced that it has killed the Islamic State’s "emir" in the country, it continues to face serious security threats from a variety of militants.

A Kurdish fighter from the People's Protection Units (YPG) carries his weapon as he stands past a tank in the Ghwairan neighborhood of Hasaka, Syria, August 22, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTX2MKNR

Did Putin give green light to Turkish attack on US-backed Syrian Kurds?

Kurds again in crosshairs as Turkey weighs options in Mosul.

A bridge over the Euphrates river is seen in Falluja after government forces recaptured the city from Islamic State militants, Iraq, June 27, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RTX2IHKR

The battle of the Euphrates islands: The last stages in the fight against IS

In conjunction with the Mosul operation, the Iraqi army has launched an operation in Anbar province to liberate islands in the Euphrates River that are under Islamic State control and are used as IS safe havens.

Are Turkish leaders ill-informed about their own history?

Many question whether Ankara has aspirations in Iraq linked to a misunderstanding of Turkish history.

REFILE - ADDITIONAL CAPTION INFORMATIONIraqi army gather after the liberation of a village from Islamic State militants, south of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 21, 2016, as toxic smoke is seen over the area after Islamic State militants set fire to a sulphur factory. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudan TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2PXNT

Turkey’s misguided policies now haunt it at Mosul

Turkey criticizes the Mosul operation but is doing everything possible to be part of it.

Displaced people who fled Islamic State militants from Mosul receive aid at Deepaka camp in the northwest of Erbil, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 20, 2016. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani - RTX2PQDQ

Mosul adds to staggering world refugee crisis

With the highest number of refugees and displaced people since World War II and continued brutal conflicts in Syria, Iraq and beyond forcing millions to flee, humanitarians lament a broken system running from crisis to crisis.

Smoke rises from a bomb attack south of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 20, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RTX2PQIP

How Ankara plans to repeat Syria success in Iraq

Ankara seems to have contingency plans for every situation to make its presence felt in Mosul.