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Iraq

October 27, 2026

Baghdad 10:22 am

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Safin HAMID / AFP via Getty Images

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 Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi (L) talks to Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, May 21, 2015. Moscow and Baghdad are expanding military cooperation, Putin said on Thursday during talks with al-Abadi in the Kremlin. REUTERS/Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool - RTX1DYWB

Can Iraq meet US, Russia halfway?

As political forces have called for Russia to intervene in Iraq, as it has in Syria, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has been cautious about what steps to take regarding Russia and the United States.

Iraqi doctors plagued by threats, extortion

Iraqi doctors are living under constant threat of death and kidnapping by tribes and gangs seeking to extort them in what some suspect is a plot to empty the country of its scientific assets.

Iraqi Kurdish regional President Massoud Barzani speaks during a ceremony in Dohuk, northern Iraq August 3, 2015. Barzani is marking the first anniversary of Islamic State's surge on Yazidis of the town of Sinjar. REUTERS/Ari Jalal - RTX1MVM6

Iraqi Kurdistan's brewing crisis

In addition to Iraqi Kurdistan's struggle with the Islamic State, now it has to cope with domestic crises that may require intervention by the US and Europe.

Iraqi security forces arrest suspected militants during a raid and weapons search operation in Baghdad's Shaab neighbourhood, July 26, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer - RTX1LU5B

The danger of Iraq's informants

Thousands of Iraqis were arrested based on information provided by informants and turned out to be innocent, thus raising questions about Iraq’s judiciary system and human rights policies.

U.S. Defence Secretary Ashton Carter (R) speaks during a news conference with his British counterpart Michael Fallon at Lancaster House in London, Britain October 9, 2015. U.S. President Barack Obama will overhaul Washington's approach to supporting Syrian rebel forces following this year's deeply troubled launch of a U.S. military training program, Carter said on Friday. REUTERS/Jonathan Brady/pool - RTS3QRE

Is it time for a surge in Syria?

A group of current and former US officials concludes that current US policy toward the Islamic State is not working, and that more needs to be done in both the diplomatic and military spheres to end the Syrian civil war.

Neglect eats away historical Iraqi city of Uruk

The historical city of Uruk in Iraq has been neglected by the government, as its monuments and artifacts are threatened by thieves and looting activities.

Does Iran even want Russia in Syria?

Despite the stepped-up Russian role in Syria, it is still not clear whether Iran views this development in a wholly positive light.

Could Saudi-Iraqi ties be key to defeating Islamic State?

As both Iraq and Saudi Arabia are threatened by the same enemy — that is, extremist groups — the two countries ought to build positive relations for the good of the region.

Descendants of Iraqi Jews preserve memories

An unidentified bride and groom in a photo displayed at an Iraqi Jewish exhibit has been identified by the couple's son, explaining how their wedding photo ended up in Saddam Hussein’s cellar in Baghdad.

Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba at the Grand mosque during the annual Haj pilgrimage, in the holy city of Mecca October 17, 2013. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the Haj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: RELIGION) - RTX14EKI

Will Saudi Arabia give up hajj management?

The harsh criticism by various Muslim countries and other parties of Saudi Arabia over the most recent hajj tragedy may prompt the kingdom to take drastic steps to protect its reputation.

The U.S. families of Iranian dissidents, members of Iran's opposition movement Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) who reside in Camp Liberty in Iraq, look on as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry testifies on agreements over Iran's nuclear programs, before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, December 10, 2013. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTX16CNF

Congress shows renewed interest in Iranian opposition after nuclear deal

Iran hawks tout MEK as way to keep pressure on Tehran.

A general view of the buildings at Bismayah residential project in Baghdad, February 26, 2015. On a main highway south of Baghdad, dozens of buildings rise up from the Iraqi plains, the first blocks of a multi-billion-dollar city emerging from a landscape more accustomed to conflict and crisis than glitzy new development. Bismayah New City, which aims to house half a million people within four years, dwarfs any construction project Iraq has attempted in a generation. Picture taken February 26, 2015. REUTER

Iraq's failing construction projects

Corruption seems to be behind the failure of construction and development projects in Iraq.