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Iraq

October 25, 2026

Baghdad 6:00 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

Iraqi Shiite Muslim men from Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) hold portraits of (front to back) Iran's late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iraq's late Shi'ite cleric Mohammed Baqir al-Sadr, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a parade marking the annual al-Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Baghdad, July 10, 2015. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani - RTX1JVWV

Iraqis wary of political role for Popular Mobilization Units

Signs indicate that the PMU hopes to assume a political role in Iraq, which has raised concerns among some Iraqis.

A print screen of the hacked Facebook page of French television network TV5Monde is seen on a camera viewer in Paris April 9, 2015. French broadcaster TV5Monde was working on Thursday to regain control over its 11 channels and websites after an "extremely powerful" cyber attack claimed by the supporters of the Islamic State, its director said. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann - RTR4WLYH

Is the Islamic State planning a cyber-caliphate?

Under pressure on the battlefield, IS has been moving its caliphate to the virtual world and is targeting Turkey in particular.

Iraqi security forces escort civilians who fled their homes due to the clashes between Iraqi security forces and Islamic state militants in the town of Hit in Anbar province, April 4, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTSDKA0

Will conflict continue as Iraq's Sunni areas are liberated from IS?

A new type of conflict may arise in Iraqi areas recently liberated from the Islamic State as different Sunni forces compete to regain political and economic control.

Anti-government protesters gather as they try to approach the heavily fortified Green Zone at Tahrir Square in Baghdad, Iraq May 27, 2016. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2EIN7

On eve of mass protests, what's next for Iraq's political crisis?

Iraq's Supreme Court canceled the decision to dismiss the parliament speaker and the Abadi reform Cabinet, intensifying the political crisis as the popular movement prepares for mass demonstrations July 15.

A girl walks past the site after a suicide car bomb attack at the shopping area of Karrada, a largely Shi'ite district, in Baghdad, Iraq July 4, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad - RTX2JMRE

Baghdad bombing ignites demand for better security in Iraq

Repercussions of the massive July 3 suicide bombing in Baghdad could include extensive political change and government reshuffling, especially if such attacks continue.

Iraqi Shi'ite Muslims from Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) march along a street as they hold a giant Iraqi flag during a parade marking the annual al-Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Baghdad, Iraq July 1, 2016. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily - RTX2J7X3

Why some Iraqi Shiites are pushing for distance from Iran

Iraqi Shiites are dividing over their stance toward Iran, as the disagreement with Iran rose up among Shiites affiliated to Najaf.

Iraqi Shi'ite Muslims from Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) march during a parade marking the annual al-Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Baghdad, Iraq July 1, 2016. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily - RTX2J7WT

Why Iraq needs the Popular Mobilization Units in fight against IS

Given the critical role of the PMU to date, its participation in upcoming battles against IS seems inevitable.

Iraqis look to get ahead on keffiyeh fashion

The headdress worn by Iraqi men has become the embodiment of Arab prestige and a status symbol worn not only by ordinary citizens, but also by politicians and dignitaries who use it to profess their political and social standing.

Iraqi pre-Islamic landmark threatening to collapse

The pre-Islamic Taq Kasr monument is suffering from neglect and is in dire need of maintenance.

Iraqi Shi'ite Turkmen fighters take part in an intensive security deployment in the town of Taza, south of the northern oil city of Kirkuk, June 19, 2014. The United States is contemplating talks with its arch-enemy Iran to support the Iraqi government in its battle with Sunni Islamist insurgents who routed Baghdad's army and seized the north of the country in the past week. REUTERS/Stringer (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTR3UOZA

Is Iraq's Kirkuk on verge of becoming independent region?

A proposal to make Kirkuk an independent region has Turkmens and Kurds assessing the future of the province.

Lieutenant General Abdelwahab al-Saadi speaks during an interview with Reuters in Falluja, Iraq, June 20, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RTX2H7ML

Head of Fallujah liberation offers views on upcoming Mosul battle

Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, who oversaw the Fallujah operation, speaks to Al-Monitor about lessons learned from that fight and offers his view on the impending battle to retake Mosul from IS.

An Iraqi Christian man fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Mosul, sits inside the Sacred Heart of Jesus Chaldean Church in Telkaif near Mosul, in the province of Nineveh, July 20, 2014. The head of Iraq's largest church said on Sunday that Islamic State militants who drove Christians out of Mosul were worse than Mongol leader Genghis Khan and his grandson Hulagu who ransacked medieval Baghdad. Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako led a wave of condemnation for the Sunni Islamists who demande

Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan complain about land seizure

Christians in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq complain of attempts to seize their land, which will push them to emigrate, as happened in Baghdad and other Iraqi provinces.