Newsletter: Daily Briefing Israel strikes south Lebanon after 2 soldiers killed Tehran says Iran, Oman agree on Hormuz shipping route; US lifts sanctions on Iraqi airline linked to Iran's IRGC; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Iraqi Kurdish president’s meeting with Syria’s Sharaa signals shift in SDF dynamics KRG President Nechirvan Barzani’s meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa underscored the Kurdistan Region’s growing role in Syria’s Kurdish politics. Iraq
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran denies negotiations with US after Trump calls off strikes Pakistan’s death toll rises to 17 after suspected suicide bombing; Syria’s Sharaa meets with KRG President Barzani; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
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. By Mustafa Salim
Exclusive US nears full withdrawal from Iraq as bases in Kurdistan Region face attacks from Iran, proxies By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iraq's Zaidi cancels Riyadh visit after US-Saudi strikes By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Abadi enlists neighbors to support unified Iraq Iraq is shoring up political and economic relations with neighboring states to prepare for rebuilding after the defeat of the Islamic State. Saudi Arabia
Iraqi journalists face threats, murder In the absence of deterrent laws and decisive action by the government, Iraqi journalists continue to face all manner of threats, including kidnapping, murder and persecution. Iraq
Illegal hunting threatens biodiversity of Iraq's marshes In the absence of deterrent laws and decisive actions by the authorities, hunters in Iraq are killing migrant birds on a large scale. Iraq
Will Turkey, Iraq open new chapter in ties? Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim’s visit to Iraq last week has signaled a willingness to improve relations between the two countries after a period of intense animosity. Iraq
Westward offensive starts as Iraq's Ramadi catches breath With the Mosul operation still going on and Anbar's liberated area still unstable, the Iraqi forces have launched an assault on the last Islamic State stronghold in Anbar province. Iraq
Who's fighting whom in Iraq's Sinjar? After KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani warned that the KRG may resort to force to expel the Kurdistan Workers Party from Sinjar, tensions rose in the region. Iraq
Jordanians question timing, messages of top military brass The Dec. 30 BBC interview with Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, raised eyebrows in Amman and prompted local commentators to speculate about the purpose and meaning of Freihat’s statements. Iraq
Iran, Iraq seek to send a message with joint naval exercises In a clear message to the Gulf countries of the Iranian influence, Iraqi forces with Iranian support are conducting military maneuvers in the Persian Gulf and the Iraqi land border with the Saudi. Legacy: Gulf
Can public outcry in southern Iraq end Maliki’s political ambitions? Nouri al-Maliki, the former prime minister who now is one of Iraq’s vice presidents, was faced with demonstrations staged by angry residents of the three southern provinces he was visiting as part of an early effort to increase his chances of returning to power in local and parliamentary elections slated for 2018. Iraq
Does New Year's nightclub attack signal tough year ahead for Turkey? As transnational networks of the Islamic State come under increasing pressure in Iraq and Syria, they are likely to shift to Turkey, while Ankara still gives priority to the Kurdistan Workers Party. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan oil a slippery issue Ownership of Iraqi Kurdistan oil is a major source of friction between Baghdad and Erbil, while Turkey and Iran compete for lucrative oil transport contracts. Iraq
Smell of death fills Mosul The bodies of Islamic State fighters lie in the streets of the liberated areas of Mosul, which is causing concern about the physical and psychological well-being of the city's residents. Iraq