Iraq - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent since 2012

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Iraq

April 1, 2026

Baghdad 9:00 am

14°C

An undated image of Shelly Kittleson.

AL-MONITOR calls for release of contributor Shelly Kittleson

An undated image of Shelly Kittleson.

American journalist Shelly Kittleson abducted in Iraq

The State Department said a suspect taken into custody by Iraqi authorities had ties to Kataib Hezbollah.

Members of the Popular Mobilization Units stand guard along the Iraqi-Syrian border in Al-Qaim, west of Iraq, on Jan. 23, 2026.

Syria sustains drone attack from Iraq, tackles smuggling tunnels on Lebanon border

The incidents on Syria's borders follow threats against the transitional government by Iran and its proxies in Iraq.

A general view of South Pars gas field facilities in the southern Iranian port town of Assaluyeh, on the Gulf, Nov. 19, 2015.

Analysis

Oil-rich Gulf states could face power crunch as Iran war hits energy security

While the conflict fuels a global oil price shock, the Gulf states must contend with growing threats to their own energy security, from power cuts to desalinated water loss.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Latest News

Analysis

Energy storage keeps Turkey stable, but long war risks fragile economy

Sedat Suna/Getty Images

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Turkey confirms Iraq troop withdrawal as NATO pulls back due to Iran war

A handing over of command ceremony at Union III Camp in the Green Zone of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on May 22, 2025.

Analysis

Iran's first strike on Iraqi Kurdish forces since war began a warning to US allies

An Iranian Kurdish peshmerga member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran inspects the damage sustained at the Azadi Camp following an Iranian cross-border attack in the town of Koye, east of Erbil district, on March 3, 2026.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Exclusive

Iraqi oil flows to Turkey after US pledges role in Baghdad-Kurds customs dispute

A view of the oil refinery on March 17, 2026 in Erbil, Iraq.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

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

Residents gather at the premises of a coffee shop that was destroyed in a suicide bomb attack the night before, in Baghdad June 17, 2013. Five people were killed and 20 were wounded in the attack, police said. REUTERS/Saad Shalash (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX10QGM

Political Alliances Shift in Baghdad

An Iraqi alliance bringing together Sunni and Shiite parties has succeeded in forming the local government in Baghdad without the participation of the prime minister's State of Law Coalition.

Sunni Muslims chant "Allahu Akbar", meaning "God is great", as they wave old Iraqi flags during an anti-government demonstration in Ramadi, 100 km (62 miles) west of Baghdad, April 26, 2013. Tens of thousands of Sunni Muslims poured onto the streets of Ramadi and Falluja in the western province of Anbar following Friday prayers, in protest against the perceived marginalisation of their sect since the U.S.-led invasion overthrew Saddam Hussein and empowered majority Shi'ites through the ballot box. REUTERS/

Iraq Closes Anbar Crossing As Sunni Protests Continue

The authorities in Baghdad have closed Iraq's border crossing linking Anbar province to Jordan, a move some see as punishment for the region's continual protests against the government.

People read books during the launch of a reading initiative in Baghdad September 29, 2012. The "I am Iraqi... I read" initiative was launched by activists on Saturday in Baghdad to encourage Iraqis to read in a country that had suffered decades of war and internal struggle. Picture taken September 29, 2012. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani (IRAQ - Tags: SOCIETY EDUCATION) - RTR38M7Q

Iraqi Government Takes On Illiteracy

With rising illiteracy rates across the country, particularly in rural areas, the Iraqi government has launched initiatives to boost literacy.

Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari (R) welcomes Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili (C) at the headquarters of the foreign ministry in Baghdad, August 8, 2012. REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR36FB9

Iran Focused on Elections, Syria, Not Iraq

Baghdad has some breathing room as Iran has been preoccupied with elections and the war in Syria.

Self-Immolation Continues Among Iraqi Kurdish Women

Despite improvements in the condition of women under the Kurdistan Regional Government, cases of self-burning by Iraqi Kurdish women still take place.

A Syrian refugee, who fled the violence in Syria, is seen at the Domiz refugee camp in the northern Iraqi of province Dohuk July 25, 2012. The number of refugees that have fled to Iraq's Kurdistan region is in excess of 11,000 refugees, and they are settled in the region's three provinces: Arbil, Dohuk and Sulaimaniya. As for the Domiz refugee camp, the number of refugee families reached 696 families, equivalent to 2,800 people, but on the other side of the camp, where young refugees are, the number of refu

Iraqi Kurdistan Region Struggles To Cope With Syrian Refugees

Syrian refugees have been flowing into the Iraqi Kurdistan region, making the need for international assistance more pressing than ever.

Detainees suspected of being part of an armed cell with links to al Qaeda are shown to the media during a news conference at the Defence Ministry in Baghdad June 1, 2013. The four men are accused of planning to make chemical weapons like nerve and mustard gas, according to the ministry. REUTERS/Stringer (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST CRIME LAW POLITICS) - RTX10827

Al-Qaeda Divides Over Syria, Iraq

As al-Qaeda and its various branches take advantage of instability throughout the Middle East, Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria and the Islamic State of Iraq have seen rifts between themselves recently.

An aerial view of the city of Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region, about 350 km (217 miles) north of Baghdad, March 19, 2013. Picture taken March 19, 2013. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari (IRAQ - Tags: CITYSCAPE) - RTR3F8BR

Hotel Construction Explodes In Erbil To Keep Up With Tourism

Having enjoyed relative stability since Saddam Hussein's fall in 2003, Iraqi Kurdistan region capital Erbil is growing rapidly as it becomes more attractive to tourists and foreign investors.

Kurdish 'Arab Idol' Contestant Promotes Iraqi Kurdistan

Though Arab contestants have traditionally dominated "Arab Idol," the Arab world’s version of "Pop Idol," Kurdish singer Parwas Hussein has introduced the Kurdish language and culture to Arab viewers.

AKRA, Iraq: Iraqi Kurds climb a mountain decorated with a huge Kurdish flag as they celebrate New Year or Newroz, 21 March 2006 in the northern town of Akra. Iraq's predominantly Kurdish northern provinces celebrated New Year or Newroz with dancing and singing amid tight security as violence wracked the rest of the country. But traditional wishes for a happy new year took on additional urgency on the third anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq with the country teetering on the edge of civil war.

Iraqi Kurdistan Struggles With Environmental Policies

Facing drought, sandstorms and other factors contributing to the deterioration of its natural environment, the Iraqi Kurdistan Region is working to document and protect its ecosystem.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki (L) and Iraqi Kurdish President Masoud Barzani (R) speak to each other during a joint news conference in Arbil, about 350 km (220 miles) north of Baghdad June 9, 2013. Maliki visited the Kurdistan region on Sunday for the first time in more than two years, in an attempt to resolve a long-running dispute over oil and land that has strained Iraq's unity to the limit. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX10HC4

Are Cross-Sectarian Alliances Possible in Iraq?

Following months of escalating sectarian tension across Iraq, both popular and political, some are beginning to explore the viability of forging political alliances that transcend sectarian divisions.

Iraqi workers walk through the al-Doura refinery in Baghdad April 9, 2012. OPEC is seeking a balance in world oil prices, but political instability rather than production issues are affecting the market price, Iraqi Oil Minister Abdul Kareem Luaibi said on Monday. REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen (IRAQ - Tags: ENERGY POLITICS) - RTR30IVL

Iraq Looks to Foreign Investment To Boost Oil Capacity

Technip, a French company, has been awarded a major refining contract in Iraq.