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Iraq

August 6, 2026

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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in Damascus, Aug. 3, 2026. IKRPresident/X

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.

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

Latest News

Analysis

Iran-linked militias seek to draw Iraq into regional war

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.

Week in Review

By Week in Review

Exclusive

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

Patriot

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

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.

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

Iraqi Vice President Nuri al-Maliki speaks during a news conference in Baghdad November 29, 2014. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTR4G1I1

Former Iraqi PM: US could have stopped IS with 2008 security deal

In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki discussed the country's relationship with the United States, the ongoing battle against the Islamic State and the role of the Popular Mobilization Units.

Protesters hold flags showing jailed PKK leader (Kurdistan Workers' Party) Abdullah Ocalan during a demonstration against Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in central Brussels, Belgium, November 17, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman - RTX2U3V0

Iranian-Turkish tug-of-war over Kurds

Allegations of Iranian support for the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) have created fresh tension in the region as Turkey faces new violence from Kurdish militants.

Iraqi fighters from Hashid Shaabi take part in a training at Makhmur camp in Iraq December 11, 2016. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2UHUT

How Iraq's PMU law is disrupting national unity efforts

Sunni blocs, which walked out of the Iraqi parliament when the Popular Mobilization Units law was passed, are now refusing to participate in the national reconciliation project.

Pilgrims seeking miracles flock to ancient shrines

Many archaeological sites in Iraq are turning into holy shrines, as Iraqis report the occurrence of miracles and other holy acts.

Dancers from the Circassian minority perform dances from their old folklore heritage at the Southern theatre during the Jerash Festival in the ancient city of Jerash July 26, 2011. The Jerash festival for culture and art is a celebration of both Jordanian and international culture featuring poetry recitals, gymnastic performances, dance, plays and comedy. Picture taken July 26, 2011. REUTERS/Stringer (JORDAN - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT) - RTR2PC4Q

Iraq's Caucasus tribes demand formal recognition

Iraq's Caucasus tribes — the Circassians, Chechens and Dagestanis — are joining together in the hopes of being recognized as an official minority group in the Iraqi Constitution.

Remains of wall panels and colossal statues of winged bulls, destroyed by Islamic State militants are seen in the Assyrian city of Nimrud eastern bank of the Tigris River, south of Mosul, Iraq, November 16, 2016. REUTERS/Ari Jalal - RTX2TYP9

Who is responsible for destruction of Iraq's cultural heritage?

Iraqi leaders have not only failed to protect the nation's cultural heritage, but have also contributed to its destruction by demolishing historic homes and landmarks.

Turkish Energy Minister Berat Albayrak speaks to media ahead of the 23rd World Energy Congress in Istanbul, Turkey, October 9, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTSRFQG

WikiLeaks dump casts rare light on Erdogan inner circle

WikiLeaks' dump of emails has put Energy Minister Berat Albayrak's dealings back in the news.

An Iraqi journalist reacts after an Islamic State suicide bomber attacked an Iraqi special forces unit with a car bomb during clashes in Bartella, east of Mosul, Iraq October 20, 2016. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic - RTX2PQEK

Is Iraqi government censoring media's military coverage?

The Iraqi government is keeping an eye on media outlets and humanitarian organizations covering the battle of Mosul in order to prevent them from publishing false reports.

Civilians celebrate with Iraqi army soldiers after returning to their homes in the town of Hit in Anbar province, Iraq October 10, 2016. Picture taken October 10 2016. REUTERS/Stringer - RTSRQ11

Has political crisis in Iraq's Anbar reached a dead end?

As the political crisis continues in Anbar province, the upcoming council election has been postponed and the displaced do not receive enough support from the local government to return to their homeland.

An Iraqi man walks past a canoe siting on dry, cracked earth in the Chibayish marshes near the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah on June 25, 2015. Marsh areas in southern Iraq have been affected since the Islamic State group started closing the gates of a dam on the Euphrates River in the central city of Ramadi, which is under the jihadist group's control. AFP PHOTO / HAIDAR HAMDANI (Photo credit should read HAIDAR HAMDANI/AFP/Getty Images)

Why Iraq needs immediate action on climate change

Iraq is facing serious environmental challenges that require money, know-how and an attitude of urgency.

Members of the Shi'ite Badr Organisation fighters take cover behind a berm during a battle with Islamic State militants at the airport of Tal Afar west of Mosul, Iraq, November 20, 2016. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily - RTSSJEJ

Shiite forces advance on Tal Afar in Mosul operation

Predominately Shiite Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) have liberated Tal Afar airport to the west of Mosul and now seek to coordinate with Kurdish peshmerga forces on the front.

A Syrian government soldier gestures a v-sign under the Syrian national flag near a general view of eastern Aleppo after they took control of al-Sakhour neigbourhood in Aleppo, Syria in this handout picture provided by SANA on November 28, 2016. SANA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. - RTSTSGY

Why Aleppo’s fall will be a game-changer for Turkey

The recapture of Aleppo by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces could turn the tables on Turkey.