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Iraq

January 14, 2026

Baghdad 9:33 pm

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Sadaf Ebrahimi walks down a row of demonstrators at Lafayette Park in front of the White House during the "Free Iran" rally on Jan 10, 2026, in Washington.

Analysis

Trump dials up risky Iran tariffs that would hit China, UAE and others: What to know

Any country trading with Iran now faces a 25% tariff, per the White House, but the move is unlikely to ratchet up pressure on Tehran in the short term.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2026.

From Iraq to Yemen, how Iran proxies are responding to protests

Iraqi militias and the Houthis are growing more vocal in their defense of Iran amid the protests sweeping the country, while Hezbollah and Palestinian groups are remaining relatively quiet.

Safin HAMID / AFP via Getty Images

Sharaa tells Iraq's Barzani Kurds integral to Syria amid fears of Aleppo spillover

More than 140,000 people have been displaced by fighting between Syrian government and Kurdish forces in Aleppo and the situation has captured the attention of Kurdistan Region and federal government leaders in neighboring Iraq.

The Iranian-flagged oil tanker Fortune is docked at the El Palito refinery after its arrival to Puerto Cabello in the northern state of Carabobo, Venezuela, on May 25, 2020.

Analysis

Venezuelan crisis unlikely to impact MENA crude exporters in short term

Oil prices inched up on Monday as global oversupply concerns outweighed output disruption fears over the upheaval in Venezuela.

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

Latest News

Analysis

After Iraq’s election, what are US priorities for next government?

Armoured vehicles of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Forces are deployed outside the US embassy building in Baghdad's Green Zone on June 12, 2025, after an announcement by a US official the previous day that staff levels at the diplomatic mission in Iraq were being reduced over security concerns. Despite reporting progress in earlier rounds of talks between Iran and the United States, tensions have reached a fever pitch this week as Washington moved non-essential staff from bases in the region following US medi

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

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

Syria seizes anti-aircraft missiles near Iraqi border: What to know

Syria's security directorate in al-Bukamal seized SAM-7 missiles being prepared for smuggling into Iraq, on Dec. 22, 2025.

Analysis

What Turkey wants from Iraq to renew pipeline deal

A worker turns a valve at the Shirawa oil field, where oil was first pumped in Iraq in 1927, outside the northern city of Kirkuk, Jan. 19, 2004.

David O'Byrne

By David O'Byrne

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

Andrew Parasiliti

President and Chief Content Officer

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, national security

Suadad al-Salhy

In Baghdad, reporting on politics and security

Lyse Mauvais

In Amman, reporting on humanitarian crises

Will Russia provide the 'new Kissinger' for Iran-Israel diplomacy?

Moscow works back channels between Tehran and Jerusalem; hard-line Saudi stance toward Iran adheres to Wahhabi line favored by conservative clerics.

Iraqi children gather around what is believed to be Adam's tree in the
Garden of Eden in Al Qurna, Iraq, May 19, 2003. Eden, at the confluence
of the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers, known as the cradle of mankind,
is now a ruined home to the dead Adam's tree which was cultivated by Al
Qurna's elders for centuries at this location. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

DS - RP3DRILTDYAA

Iraq’s 'Tree of Knowledge' draws visitors across faiths

Visitors flock to visit Adam's Tree, which they believe was planted by the Prophet Abraham and is sacred, in southern Iraq.

Iraqi Shi'ite Muslims from Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) march during a parade marking the annual al-Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, in Baghdad, Iraq June 23, 2017. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily - RC160C330360

Iraq’s Shiite militias hope battlefield wins can secure electoral victory

An electoral coalition formed by some pro-Iranian Shiite Popular Mobilization Units is confident it can secure enough seats in parliament to form a majority and claim the premiership.

Participants attend a round table with international delegations at a conference to discuss ways of cutting funding to groups including Islamic State and al-Qaeda, at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) headquarters in Paris, France, April 26, 2018. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer/Pool - RC1775AF2BE0

Iraq targets terrorism financing with blacklist

Iraq has gained international support for its efforts to cut terror funding sources as it gathers data on companies and individuals for inclusion in the UN's sanctions list.

US President Donald Trump (C-L), Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (C-R), Jordan's King Abdullah II (3-R), Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (2-R) and other officials pose for a group photo during the Arab Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh on May 21, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Saudi belligerence on Iran threatens US

Saudi Arabia’s anti-Iran and anti-Shiite policy is creating a toxic environment in which the US administration must exercise great care.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (R) talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, June 19, 2017. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC149073CBE0

Saudi Arabia eyes Iraq's Anbar for potential investments

Riyadh is considering significant investments in Iraq's Anbar province, but is facing opposition from certain Iraqi political forces and Shiite factions.

Stymied in Syria, Turkey quietly ups actions against PKK in Iraq

Turkey has slowed its military operations in Syria and appears to be shifting attention to northern Iraq to intensify operations against the Kurdistan Workers Party.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia January 10, 2018. REUTERS/Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool? - UP1EE1A1NCZOZ

Iran FM: Trump administration 'never in' nuclear deal

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke about Tehran’s potential response as the United States weighs pulling out of the nuclear deal.

Iraqi comic strip collective tells stories of war, rebirth

Mesaha, an Iraqi comix group, had its first European debut at Switzerland's Fumetto festival, yet visa obligations stopped the artists from presenting their own works.

A worker cleans the street next to a campaign poster of candidates ahead of the parliamentary election, in Najaf, Iraq, April 14, 2018. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani - RC155ACA6900

Religious disputes escalate over upcoming Iraqi elections

Religious leaders in Iraq are calling on voters to exercise caution in the upcoming elections and avoid casting votes for corrupt politicians.

Iraqi musicians fight to revive ancient art of maqam

A handful of enthusiasts are trying to save Iraq's age-old melodic system known as maqam, which was placed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.

Electronic vote counting sparks controversy ahead of Iraqi polls

Despite the advantages offered by electronic counting and sorting devices in the Iraqi elections, fears remain that the results will be falsified.