Iraq - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

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Iraq

August 3, 2026

Baghdad 5:12 pm

48°C

Mourners carry one of the bodies of members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) who were killed earlier in Diyala in central Iraq by US-Saudi strikes, during the funeral in Baghdad on July 29, 2026. The US-Saudi strikes killed at least 20 militants, including Iranians, according to the Hashed al-Shaabi. The US and Saudi Arabia said the strikes were in response to attacks on US forces and Saudi oil facilities. (Photo by murtadha ridha / AFP via Getty Images) /

Analysis

Renewed Iraq attacks test Zaidi’s push to disarm Iran-backed militias

An attempt by Iraqi government forces to seize weapons belonging to an Iranian-backed faction encountered resistance, raising questions about Prime Minister Ali Zaidi’s pledge to disarm militias by Sept. 30.

Mustafa Salim

By Mustafa Salim

Fighters lift flags of Iraq and paramilitary groups, including al-Nujaba and Kataib Hezbollah, during a funeral in Baghdad for five militants killed a day earlier in a US strike in northern Iraq, on Dec. 4, 2023.

Analysis

Iran-linked militias seek to draw Iraq into regional war

“Iran’s logic is the logic of war,” a Gulf regional official tells Al-Monitor.

Week in Review

By Week in Review

Patriot

Exclusive

US nears full withdrawal from Iraq as bases in Kurdistan Region face attacks from Iran, proxies

Patriot air-defense systems that detect and shoot down incoming missiles and drones have already been removed, sources told Al-Monitor.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

Zaidi cancels Riyadh trip after US-Saudi strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at a Council of Ministers meeting in Baghdad, July 25, 2026.

Explainer

Erdogan hosts Zaidi, touts ‘historic step’ in Turkey-Iraq energy ties

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets Iraq Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi upon his arrival in Ankara, July 28, 2026.

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

School bells ring again at Mosul's Christian school

Shimon Safa Elementary School has welcomed students of many faiths for years, and now the Christian school has opened again, thanks to the residents of the city.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to reporters during a news briefing at the State Department in Washington, U.S., October 23, 2018. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton - RC1A8C8911D0

US gives Iraqis an out on Iran sanctions

Although Iraq continues to accuse Washington of meddling in its internal affairs, both countries have made concessions on Iran sanctions.

Iraq, Syria lay plans to reopen border

Despite the ongoing threats from Islamic State militants along the Iraq-Syria border, the two countries are preparing to reopen important crossings.

Iraq working to make money, not burn it up in gas flares

Iraq is making progress on its project to capture the potentially lucrative gas associated with oil extracted from its southern fields, which it has been burning off for decades.

Barham Salih, Iraq's newly elected President stands during a handover ceremony at Salam Palace in Baghdad, Iraq October 3, 2018. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RC1F1E655F20

Will new Iraqi government resolve Baghdad-KRG issues?

The peaceful formation of a new government in Iraq has raised hopes that the outstanding issues between Baghdad and Erbil might be resolved, but a number of obstacles stand in the way of it actually happening despite amicable relations among the countries leaders.

A picture taken on April 30, 2018 shows an electoral banner for the Iraqi Turkmen Front hanging beneath the flags of Iraq (L) and the Iraqi Turkmen (C, white crescent and stars on a blue background) above a pedestrian crossing in the oil-rich and multi-ethnic northern city of Kirkuk. - The past seven months have seen a dramatic turn of events in Kirkuk, the "Jerusalem of Kurdistan", where hopes of independence for Iraqi Kurdistan were dashed after Baghdad retaliated against a referendum held in September. (

Why Iraqi Turkmens are excluded from the new government

Iraqi Turkmens say they have been excluded from the new Iraqi government because they refuse to follow a sectarian approach to politics.

An Iraqi soldier looks through a pair of binoculars near the Iraqi-Syrian borders at the Abu Kamal-qaim border crossing, the main border post between Iraq and Syria, July 20, 2012. REUTERS/Saad Shalash (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST MILITARY) - GM1E87K1QAO01

Iraqi border city eyes IS advance amid dust storms

Iraqi security forces on Iraq's border with Syria have been placed on a higher level of alert amid an Islamic State advance on the Syrian side of the border.

Kurdish film festival screens, then withdraws, Israeli movie

Israeli filmmakers were surprised to learn that their film had been selected to be shown at the Duhok International Film Festival, only to be notified later that it was removed from the competition after being screened.

Iraqi prime minister faces pressure in forming his Cabinet

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi faces many obstacles from the parliamentary blocs in appointing his new Cabinet members.

To what extent can US aid help Iraq’s minorities?

US financial aid to Iraqi religious minorities in the Ninevah Plains brings them hope and raises their expectations about the future of their homeland in northern Iraq.

Iraq's Prime Minister-designate Adel Abdul Mahdi and the speaker of Iraq's parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi arrive at the parliament building in Baghdad, Iraq, October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily - RC1D24E3EB30

Intel: Why Iraq’s parliament won’t seat key ministers

Iraqi court suspends Abadi's act to pull Fayadh from posts

A court ruling puts Faleh al-Fayadh back at the helm of Iraq's National Security Council and the Popular Mobilization Units, at least for now.