Iraq - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

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Iraq

October 21, 2026

Baghdad 11:45 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

PKK under pressure in Iraq's Kurdistan Region

Turkey is continuing its attacks on the Kurdistan Workers Party as a senior Iraqi Kurdish military official hints the group may be wearing out its welcome.

A picture of Iraq's top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani is seen at a shop in a market in the capital Baghdad on January 18, 2020. (Photo by SABAH ARAR / AFP) (Photo by SABAH ARAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Sistani backs Iraqi government crackdown on outlawed militias

Top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani backs early elections and calls on the Iraqi government to take action against the outlawed militias and mafia active in the country.

Kurdish Iraqi men and women practice yoga on Mount Azmar, which overlooks the northern city of Sulaimaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, on July 19, 2020. - According to kurdish Iraqi Yoga instructor Muhammad Sherzade, an increasing number of people joined his class since he established his school in the region in 2016, following the outbreak earlier this year of the coronavirus epidemic. (Photo by Shwan MOHAMMED / AFP) (Photo by SHWAN MOHAMMED/AFP via Getty Images)

Are Iraqi youths losing their religion?

Despite the influence of religion in Iraqi politics, recent studies show that young people in Iraq are increasingly identifying as secularist.

Denmark will open embassy to Iraq in Baghdad this year

Denmark is assuming control of NATO's training mission in Iraq in December. The European Union member has also trained PMU forces in the fight against the Islamic State.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi (C) chairs a meeting with military commanders in Tarmiyah, 35 kilometres (20 miles) north of Baghdad on July 20, 2020. (Photo by Khalid MOHAMMED / POOL / AFP) (Photo by KHALID MOHAMMED/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Iraqi prime minister forbids state bodies from classifying Iraqis by sect

Mustafa al-Kadhimi's decision was prompted by an outcry over the Iraqi Military College listing new students by sectarian classification.

US army soldiers, part of the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group, walk around at the K1 Air Base northwest of Kirkuk in northern Iraq before a planned US pullout on March 29, 2020. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images)

More than 2,000 US troops to leave Iraq in September, CENTCOM says

CENTCOM head formally announces long-awaited reduction of US forces in Iraq.

President of the Kurdistan Regional government (IKRG) President Nechirvan Barzani speaks during a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22, 2020. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Iraqi Kurdistan president carries conciliatory message from Baghdad to Ankara

Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani carried a conciliatory message from Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to Ankara.

Coalition withdrawal from base near Baghdad worries locals

The recent pullout of international coalition personnel from Camp Taji, the first airstrike in years in an area close to the capital, and continued targeting of facilities keep tensions high as the drawdown continues.

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US seizes websites of Iraqi militia-affiliated news outlet

The US Justice Department says the domain names of Aletejah TV's websites were owned and operated by a US company and affiliated with the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia.

President of Iraq's Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani (R) attends a press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister in Arbil, the regional capital in northern Iraq, on July 19, 2020. (Photo by SAFIN HAMED / AFP) (Photo by SAFIN HAMED/AFP via Getty Images)

Iraqi Kurdistan president leaves Ankara talks with two Yazidi children

A senior Iraqi Kurdistan official told Al-Monitor that the talks with Ankara were “really good," and the delegation had brought two Yazidi children back with them on the plane.

Iraq TV station attacked by mob charged with insulting Shiite Muslims

Dijlah TV was attacked after playing music during an event marking the Shiite holiday of Ashura. The owner, who has been charged with insulting Shiite Muslims, blames Iran-backed militias for the incident.

Intel: Macron makes appeal for Iraqi sovereignty in visit to Baghdad

Iraqi President Barham Salih welcomes French counterpart as 'dear friend' of the country.