Saudi Arabia losing ground to Iran

Saudi influence in the region has been on the decline for a number of reasons, and the kingdom has now suffered another setback in Lebanon with the election of President Michel Aoun, an ally of Hezbollah.

Saudi Arabia

Iraqi journalists join hands under National Media Alliance

To provide better coverage of the Mosul operation and fight the Islamic State propaganda, several Iraqi media outlets have joined a media alliance.

Iraq

Kirkuk officials deny displacing Arabs in anti-IS operation

Kirkuk province officials have denied a UN report that internally displaced Sunni Iraqis in the city of Kirkuk have been expelled after the recent attack by the Islamic State, though the governor warns, "They cannot stay here forever."

Iraq

Abadi says 'we are ready' if Turkey wants war

As Turkey's behavior grows more erratic and aggressive by the day, the United States is scrambling to head off a dust-up among its anti-Islamic State coalition partners.

Iraq

What's really behind Iraq's new alcohol ban?

The Iraqi parliament's ban on the production, import and sale of alcoholic beverages of all kinds has raised a broad protest among religious minorities, individuals and civil societies.

Iraq

New generation of jihadis poised to replace IS in Iraq

Though the Islamic State is being chased out of Iraq, its disappearance will only herald an upsurge in new militant groups until the conditions that gave it a foothold are a thing of the past.

Iraq

Christian minority in Iraq seeks autonomy in post-Mosul Iraq

What do Iraqi Christians expect from the post-Islamic State era?

Iraq

What is Turkey up to in northern Syria?

As Turkey advances in northern Syria as part of its Euphrates Shield offensive, taking control of al-Bab and Manbij would give Ankara access to the Aleppo front.

Iraq

Can Iran pull Turkey, Iraq away from brink of war?

Despite its tensions with Turkey, Tehran is well-positioned to bring Ankara and Baghdad closer amid their escalating war of words — but could Iran be successful in this endeavor?

Iraq

Don’t expect IS fighters to flee en masse to Syria

The logistics of the battle for Mosul and beyond don’t point conclusively to the Islamic State taking the fight into Syria next.

Iraq

Is Yemen headed for partition?

An open-ended cease-fire is needed for Yemen, but a de facto partition of the country is more likely.

Saudi Arabia

How Iraqi real estate became the subject of corrupt dealings

Real estate in Baghdad and other Iraqi areas has been subject to corrupt deals and law violations for some time, sparking governmental and popular concern about a growing phenomenon involving criminal gangs and corrupt public employees.

Iraq