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Iraq

July 15, 2026

Baghdad 12:55 am

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Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House, Washington, DC, July 14, 2026.

Trump hosts Iraqi PM Zaidi as Iran war intensifies

President Donald Trump emphasized Iraq’s “tremendous oil reserves” and possible deals with US companies.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at a Council of Ministers meeting in Baghdad on July 11, 2026.

Analysis

On first foreign trip, Iraqi PM Zaidi woos Trump but Iran casts long shadow

Iraq's new prime minister is in Washington promising business deals and closer ties with the United States, but convincing the Trump administration he can rein in Iran-backed militias may prove his toughest challenge.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

An aerial view shows port of the western Syrian port city of Latakia, on Dec. 18, 2024.

Analysis

Can a UAE-backed Syria-Iraq corridor become Gulf's next trade route?

On June 26, Emirati and Syrian officials discussed plans for a logistics corridor connecting Syrian ports to Gulf markets via Iraq.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Latest News

Here's what to know about Iraq's corruption as Zaidi launches crackdown

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Iraqi PM’s anti-corruption drive comes as US pressure mounts on Iran-backed militias

aqi security personnel patrol in a vehicle along a street in Baghdad on June 28, 2026.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Explainer

After UAE and Qatar, could Iraq be next to leave OPEC?

A worker at a market for fuel oil and automotive fuel on March 17, 2026, in Erbil, Iraq.

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

Police officers search a vehicle at a checkpoint, as security increases after a bomb attack, at Abu Ghraib district, west of Baghdad, January 9, 2014. A suicide bomber killed 13 Iraqi army recruits and wounded more than 30 in Baghdad on Thursday, police said, in an attack on men responding to a government appeal for volunteers to help fight al Qaeda-linked militants in Anbar province. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS MILITARY) - RTX177MB

Maliki's use of SWAT forces questioned

In mid-March, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki criticized police manning checkpoints for delaying traffic, leading to the arrest of some officers by members of the SWAT forces.

A man walks past an election campaign poster of Mohammed Abed Al-Kazem Aqeeli (C) of Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's State of Law coalition in Baghdad April 3, 2014. Iraq's parliamentary election is scheduled for later this month. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR3JUU1

Iraqi government submits controversial emergency powers bill

The bill would give near-absolute powers to Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and is filled with loopholes and vague language.

Ammar al-Hakim (C), leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, speaks to his supporters during a ceremony held to announce his election platform, in Baghdad April 5, 2014. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION ELECTIONS) - RTR3K2VC

Hakim launches 'Citizen Coalition' in Iraqi elections

In the lead-up to the April 30 Iraqi elections, Ammar al-Hakim’s Citizen Coalition has sought to ensure comprehensive reform and released a serious and thorough electoral program.

NAJAF, IRAQ: An Iraqi Shiite scholar (2nd L) lectures a student while another one (R) reviews his lesson at a religious school for clerics, known in Arabic as Haouza, in the holy city of Najaf, 160 kms (100 miles) south of Baghdad, 05 August 2006. The teaching method at the clerical school in Najaf has not radically changed since its establishment in 1056 AD, with the exception of adding natural sciences subjects to the curriculum. AFP PHOTO/ALI AL-SAADI (Photo credit should read ALI AL-SAADI/AFP/Getty I

Najaf's Shiite seminaries enter 21st century

Throughout its history, the Shiite seminaries in Najaf, Iraq, have witnessed massive changes in curricula, with an expansion in the number and scope of subjects offered.

An Iraqi man walks past an electoral campaign poster along a street in the capital Baghdad on April 3, 2014. Campaigning for Iraq's April 30 general election opened, with Maliki bidding for a third term as his government grapples with the country's worst bloodshed in years. AFP PHOTO/ALI AL-SAADI (Photo credit should read ALI AL-SAADI/AFP/Getty Images)

Divisive sectarian rhetoric dominates lead-up to Iraq vote

As elections approach in Iraq, sectarian rhetoric has distracted voters from more serious issues.

Iraqi security forces personnel are seen during clashes with the al Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Babel province south of Baghdad, April 2, 2014. Four members of the ISIL and one member of Iraqi security forces were killed during clashes, according to an Iraqi Army officer. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS CONFLICT) - RTR3JPFM

ISIS expands in areas around Baghdad

Witnesses report that the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has been entering cities surrounding Baghdad, raising al-Qaeda flags and leaving before the arrival of security forces.

Iraq's Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani shows his ink-stained finger at a polling station in Arbil, capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region, about 350 km (217 miles) north of Baghdad, September 21, 2013. Iraqi Kurds went to the polls on Saturday to vote for a new parliament at a time when their oil-producing region is seeking greater autonomy from Baghdad, against a backdrop of violent instability in the rest of Iraq and the wider Middle East. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari (IRAQ - Tags: ELECTIONS POLITICS) -

Iraqi Kurds still deadlocked over new government

Iraqi Kurdish political parties remain in a stalemate over the formation of a new regional government, six months after parliamentary elections were held in Iraqi Kurdistan.

An Iraqi homeless person sleeps inside a street tunnel in central Baghdad, 14 November 2007. A roadside bomb attack targeting a US patrol near Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone killed today two Iraqi civilians and wounded three, security officials said. AFP PHOTO/SABAH ARAR (Photo credit should read SABAH ARAR/AFP/Getty Images)

Iraq’s homeless suffer from neglect, exploitation

Homeless people in Iraq are often neglected by the state, and some armed groups take advantage of their situation to try to recruit them.

An Iraqi Dervish prays during a gathering outside their Tekiyah, a place of worship, in Baghdad, May 29, 2003. Swaying gently at first, chanting in monotones, the Dervishes slowly build up to a frenzy of prayers. Dervishes are Sufis, a spiritual offshoot of Islam, who believe their bodies open up to the energy of God when they are in prayer. Pictures of the month May 2003 NO RIGHTS CLEARANCES OR PERMISSIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS IMAGE REUTERS/Damir Sagolj PP05080023 JD/CRB - RTROHMO

Sufi music makes comeback in Iraq

Although Western influences have transformed the music scene in Iraq in recent decades, leading to a focus on fast beats and pop music, a number of Iraqis are trying to revive popular interest in traditional Sufi songs.

Iraqi Protesters hold a banner during a demonstration against the draft of the "Al-Jafaari" Personal Status Law during International Women's Day in Baghdad March 8, 2014. Protesters say the law, which involves the use of Shi'ite Jafaari law with regards to divorce, marriage and inheritance, will restrict their personal rights, according to local media. On March 8 activists around the globe celebrate International Women's Day, which dates back to the beginning of the 20th Century and has been observed by the

Iraq civil activists fight to preserve constitutional rights

Despite the civil rights safeguarded by the Iraqi constitution, conservative political parties have been increasing restricting citizens’ freedoms in recent years.

Demonstrators hold Kurdish and Syrian opposition flags during a protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Kobani, near Aleppo, July 16, 2012. Picture taken July 16, 2012. REUTERS/Shaam News Network/Handout (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - RTR350D5

Syrian Kurds blame Iran, Turkey for ISIS attacks

Syria's main Kurdish force, the Democratic Union Party, says that the ISIS battle with Syrian Kurdish groups is benefiting the Syrian government.

Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki speaks during an interview with Reuters in Baghdad January 12, 2014. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki threatened on Sunday to cut central government funding for Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region if the Kurds pursued a drive to pipe oil exports to Turkey without Baghdad's approval. The Kurdistan Regional Government said last week that crude had begun to flow to Turkey and exports were expected to start at the end of this month and then rise in February and March. T

Iraqi judiciary accused of bias, failure

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is accused of using the judiciary to fight his political opponents.