Iraq | Aug 8, 2022 Muqtada Sadr uses street pressure to set political conditions for his rivals Influential Iraqi cleric Muqtada Sadr vowed that new elections would be held as his followers flocked to a mass prayer in the occupied parts of Baghdad’s Green Zone after 10 months of political deadlock.
Iraq | Aug 8, 2022 Kurdistan Region pursues gun control after deadly shootings The autonomous government in northern Iraq has an ambitious plan to curb gun violence, but some in the region have concerns about the feasibility of gun control due to societal and political factors.
Iran | Aug 5, 2022 Iran’s long shadow from Vienna to Baghdad and beyond More may be riding on the JCPOA talks than just the fate of Iran’s nuclear program.
Iraq | Aug 5, 2022 Sadr so far cool to UN mediation to break Iraqi political deadlock United Nations special representative Jeanine Plasschaert met with Muqtada al-Sadr in Najaf, but so far there are no signs of a compromise.
Iraq | Aug 5, 2022 Iraqi Kurds and Sunnis fear intra-Shiite conflict could spiral to other communities Sunnis and Kurds in Iraq are wary that if unresolved, the fighting among Shiite factions could spill over into their regions.
Iraq | Aug 5, 2022 Muqtada al-Sadr complicates Iranian moves in Iraq Iranians from different sides look at Iraq's Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s recent move with suspicion.
Iraq | Aug 4, 2022 Iranian influence turns PKK-weakened Kurdistan into regional battleground Vehicles allegedly carrying Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) commanders continue to be targeted in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq amid claims Iran controls both the PKK and Shiite-led forces in oil-rich and disputed Kirkuk.
Iraq | Aug 3, 2022 Iraqi government initiates dialogue to end national crisis Iraqi and international leaders are responding positively to the prime minister's call fior national dialogue among the various political parties.
Iraq | Aug 3, 2022 Taliban on edge after US kills al-Qaeda chief in upscale Kabul neighborhood The US and the Taliban traded accusations of violating a key 2020 accord after Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed by a US drone attack in a part of the Afghan capital long known for its ostentatious villas.
Iraq | Aug 1, 2022 Rival Shiite forces flex muscles in two protests in Baghdad Speaker of the Iraqi parliament Mohammed al-Halbusi suspended parliament in response to Sadrist protesters who have occupied the Green Zone, closing down for now the prospects of a government formation.
Hezbollah says will 'sever' Israel's hands if it reaches for disputed gas Agence France-Presse | AFP | Aug 9, 2022
Syrian Kurdish leader Salih Muslim says Russia allows Turkish drone strikes but no ground offensive against Syria's Kurds
Tunisian people’s choice is clear with referendum vote, says Ambassador Hanene Tajouri Bessassi, responding to US criticism