Meet Ali al-Zaidi, businessman and Iraq's new prime minister-designate Legal sources familiar with the nominee told Al-Monitor that there are no US sanctions on Zaidi or financial institutions affiliated with him. Iraq
Iraq's Shiite alliance nominates Ali al-Zaidi as PM candidate: What to know Ali al-Zaidi, who leads a bank accused of money laundering, received support from previous nominee Nouri al-Maliki and incumbent Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, though it remains unclear whether the Trump administration will approve of him. Iraq
Split over Maliki, Iraq’s Shiite bloc delays PM vote as deadline nears: What to know Two other candidates have emerged as alternatives to Coordination Framework nominee and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is openly opposed by the Trump administration. Iraq
How Syria's border opening with Iraq redefines Turkey-Kurd balance After years of closure, the reopening of al-Yaaroubiya crossing is redrawing Kurdish economic leverage and reinforcing Turkey’s regional strategy. Syria
Exclusive 'King of Iraq': Top judge Zaidan played key role in Shelly Kittleson's release By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis How fast can Gulf energy production rebound after US-Iran ceasefire? By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Iraq activates Supreme Anti-Corruption Council In order to combat corruption, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has restructured the Supreme Anti-Corruption Council established by his predecessor Haider al-Abadi. Iraq
Varying head counts of US forces in Iraq stir controversy It's hard to nail down how many US troops are in Iraq, but some Iraqi political factions say any number is too high. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan parties move to form new Cabinet After a lengthy deadlock, Iraqi Kurdistan's main political parties have agreed to form a new government. Iraq
Iraqi politicians see 'fake news' in controversial Israeli tweet A Twitter account run by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that several Iraqi delegations had visited Israel in 2018, prompting controversy among Iraqi politicians, who branded the tweet as fake news. Iraq
Turkey names 'water czar' to ease disputes with Iraq In an ambitious bid to tackle water-sharing tensions with Iraq, a special envoy appointed by the Turkish president plans to travel soon to Baghdad to present a road map of cooperation. Iraq
Jordan moves to restore strategic ties with Iraq While Jordan pins high hopes on restoring strong economic ties with Iraq, some observers believe that the future of such relations will depend on Iran, which continues to wield deep influence over Iraqi politics. Iraq
Conflict erupts over properties surrounding Samarra shrine Owners of land adjacent to a holy shrine in Samarra, Iraq, are threatening legal action against the shrine's administrators, who allegedly are maneuvering to buy the properties on the cheap. Iraq
Sadr urges technocrats as armed factions look beyond border Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr continues to oppose "political" appointments, as his Saraya al-Salam guards Sunni areas relatively near the capital and other Popular Mobilization Units eye possible official cross-border operations. Iraq
Najaf Shiites launch solidarity initiative with Sunni areas Religious figures from Najaf have developed an initiative for dialogue and cooperation with the Sunni provinces liberated from Islamic State. Iraq
Draft law to pull foreign troops out of Iraq inching toward parliament Shiite parliamentary blocs under the Fatah and Sairoon alliances are working on a draft law to expel US troops from the country and say they will use force if necessary. Iraq
Iranian FM ‘maneuvers’ in Iraq as rivalry with US heats up Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has embarked on an extensive visit to neighboring Iraq at a time when US-Iran competition in the country is reaching levels not seen before. Iraq
