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
The myth of a tripartite Iraq Although it is often claimed that a federal state with an autonomous region for Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds would stabilize Iraq, this proposition has little bearing to the realities on the ground. Iraq
US election 2016: Orlando shooting sparks furious attacks on campaign trail Here's what happened on the campaign trail the week of June 13. Iraq
Centuries-old Kufa mosque still holds religious, political significance For the past 1,300 years, the Great Mosque of Kufa has served as a religious and political platform in Iraq, drawing the interest of both clerics and politicians. Iraq
Fallujah residents fear abuse from Popular Mobilization Units liberators As Iraqi forces retake Fallujah, reports and videos have surfaced of Iraq's mostly Shiite Popular Mobilization Units committing human rights violations and abusing citizens. Iraq
Will Iraq's wetlands join World Heritage List? In order to better protect them, the Iraqi government is pressing for the inclusion of Iraq's wetlands as well as the Ur, Eridu and Uruk archaeological sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Iraq
Tensions escalate between Iraqi protesters, security forces As an inseparable part of the Iraqi community suffers from unemployment, poverty and lack of services, the Iraqi young people taking part in the current anti-government protests are growing more and more frustrated with their government’s inaction, which may eventually leave them with violence as a last resort. Iraq
Will Iraqi-Kurdish conflict break out in Ninevah? Now that the Kurdish peshmerga forces have succeeded in ousting the Islamic State from crucial parts of Ninevah province, they're more determined than ever not to see the area slide back into the hands of the Iraqi forces. Iraq
Will Arab-American voters rally around Clinton? Arab-Americans tend to vote Democratic in presidential elections, but will the community coalesce around Hillary Clinton despite the attraction of Bernie Sanders’ views on the Middle East? Palestine
How this Yazidi man is saving IS captives Yazidi families in Iraq are paying thousands of dollars to smugglers who rescue their members from the Islamic State’s grip. Iraq
Is Lebanon abandoning sectarian politics? The results of municipal elections in Lebanon and the persistence of protesters against government corruption in Iraq may point to a shift in the two countries' traditional sectarian-based politics. Iraq
Iraqi authorities work to identify bodies in mass graves As Iraq works to identify bodies found in the many mass graves spread across the country, its people are reminded of the successive bloody battles Iraq has gone through and continues to fight. Iraq
Will the end-times begin at this Iraqi lake? The hidden water source of Lake Sawa in the desert of the Iraqi province of Muthanna has turned it into a religious, historical tale. Iraq