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Iraq

September 3, 2026

Baghdad 7:50 pm

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After gun found in lake, French police probe link to 2012 Iraqi family murder

A recently discovered Luger pistol may have been used in the mysterious 2012 killing of the al-Hilli family near the Alpine town of Chevaline in eastern France.

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Iraq sentences kidnapper of US journalist Shelly Kittleson to 15 years: What to know

The first sentencing in relation to Shelly Kittleson’s abduction comes as Iraq moves to rein in Iran-backed militias.

Iraqi army troops patrol the Iraq-Saudi Arabia border

Iraq reinforces Saudi border security amid militia tensions: What to know

Iraq is sending the reinforcements in response to Iran-backed militia attacks and as it looks to build security ties with Riyadh.

Latest News

Iraq summons Iran envoy over 'Persian Gulf' post, Baghdad name origins: What to know

Fred TANNEAU / AFP via Getty Images

Exclusive

Iraq's Zaidi set to make European debut with Macron in France

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi delivers a speech in Baghdad, May 16, 2026.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Oil falls 1.8% as traders await 'toughest' sanctions on Iran

Leon Neal/Getty Images

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

Army Staff Sgt. Brandy Nicole Mejia, DOD

Who is Najah al-Shammari, former Iraqi defense minister arrested in Sweden?

Shammari served in the Iraqi military under Saddam Hussein and following the 2003 US invasion, and was under investigation for fraud.

A photograph taken on Oct. 22, 2011, shows a Turkish military helicopter flying over a mountain in Yemisli, in the Hakkari province

PKK kills Turkish soldier in northern Iraq as Ankara threatens major offensive

The militant group killed one Turkish soldier and wounded four others in northern Iraq, as Turkey threatened a major offensive to "annihilate" the Kurdish militant group by summer.

An engineer walks across the Zubair oil field in southern Iraq on Jan. 21, 2010.

Analysis

What does US sanctions waiver mean for Iraq’s energy dependence on Iran?

Iraq is seeking to boost its domestic natural gas sector and find alternatives to Iranian electricity but has not made significant progress, according to one expert.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Relatives mourn over the caskets of 11 people killed in Turkish air strikes during their funeral in al-Malikiyah (Derik) in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province, on November 21, 2022. - Turkey hit dozens of targets in northern Syria as well as northern Iraq overnight into Sunday, a week after a deadly attack in Istanbul which Ankara has blamed on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). (Photo by Gihad DARWISH / AFP) (Photo by GIHAD DARWISH/AFP via Getty Images)

Baghdad's PKK ban marks win-win for Iraq, Turkey but warning to Iran

The move could ease Turkey's military operations in northern Iraq while at the same allowing Baghdad to extend its presence and control over its territory.

High-level officials from Turkey and Iraq held a security summit in Baghdad, March 14, 2024.

Iraq bans PKK as security ties with Turkey gain momentum

The decision comes after the high-level talks between Turkish and Iraqi officials in Baghdad.

Turkey’s Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Ibrahim Kalin, head of the Turkish National Intelligence Agency, met in Ankara on March 11, 2024.

Three top Turkey officials to visit Iraq as Erdogan threatens Kurdish militants

The officials’ visit signals a fresh drive to dial up pressure on the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which Ankara accuses of collaborating with Kurdish militants.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani meets with US national security advisor Jake Sullivan in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on Jan. 16, 2024.

Iraq’s Sudani faces US pressure to fix problems with Kurds ahead of Washington visit

Resolving ongoing disputes between Baghdad and Erbil is a matter of priority for Washington.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (center left) meets with KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Feb. 29, 2024.

Analysis

Biden administration backs ‘resilient’ Iraqi Kurdistan Region

Visit of Iraqi Kurdistan PM Barzani to Washington a message to Baghdad and Iran.

Week in Review

Andrew Parasiliti

By Week in Review , Andrew Parasiliti

MOHAMMED SAWAF/AFP via Getty Images

Iraq reopens major Baiji oil refinery after 10 years of closure

The North Oil Refinery was taken by the Islamic State in 2014 and took years to rehabilitate.

China Railway Express Chang'an freight train arrives at the Ankara train station, Turkey, on November 6, 2019. The first freight train, "Trans-Caspian China Railway Express", departing from China and going to Europe by using Marmaray, was sent off at Ankara Station.

Can Turkey, Iraq pull off 'Dry Canal' project?

While experts believe the ‘Dry Canal’ project involving road and rail networks faces an uphill battle, the initiative seems to stand a better chance than its alternatives.

The Kurdish-run al-Hol camp in Syria holds relatives of suspected Islamic State (ISIS) fighters and others, Hasakeh governorate, Aug. 26, 2022.

Life after al-Hol: Iraqi women’s uneasy return from ranks of ISIS

Iraq has repatriated thousands of women with suspected ties to ISIS, but reintegration is difficult as many face legal discrimination and social stigma.

A portrait of Abu Baqr al-Saadi, a prominent leader of Kataib Hezbollah killed in a strike a day earlier by a US drone in Baghdad, is plastered on a car during his funeral in Baghdad, Feb. 8, 2024.

What’s next for Iraq and the US after drone strike killed militia leader?

The Iraqi government strongly condemned the US strike that killed Abu Baqir al-Saadi, as did Iran-backed militias in the country.