Newsletter: Daily Briefing Lebanon becomes first Arab country to abolish death penalty Hormuz shipping traffic falls to one-week low amid hostilities; Netanyahu rejects Trump’s Gaza plan while quietly implementing it; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis What Qaani's Baghdad visit reveals about Iran's post-war dilemma The Quds Force commander's Baghdad visit is occurring as Iran faced difficult choices in Iraq where the government is moving to bring powerful armed groups under state control after the recent war. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
IRGC chief Qaani reportedly in Iraq ahead of militia deadline Esmail Qaani, who heads the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, has been heavily involved in Iran’s relations with Iraqi militias. Iraq
Analysis How Turkey is deepening energy and economic ties with Iraq as Iran weakens Turkey and Iraq are accelerating energy, infrastructure and trade cooperation as the Hormuz crisis increases the strategic value of northern export routes. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Israel strikes south Lebanon after 2 soldiers killed By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran denies negotiations with US after Trump calls off strikes By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Iraqi Interfaith Council Tries to Protect Minorities The Iraqi Council for Interfaith Dialogue has sought to unite people around protection of minorities. Iraq
Does Al-Qaeda in Iraq Have Chemical Weapons? Iraq's Defense Ministry says al-Qaeda was caught producing chemical weapons; some believe the claim was made to distract from authorities’ mismanagement of the security situation. Iraq
The Mideast in Venice Nine Middle Eastern countries are represented at the Venice Biennale, including a piece aptly called "Resistance" from a Turkish artist. United Arab Emirates
American University Graduates Students From Across Iraq The American University of Iraq in Sulaimaniyah brings together Iraq’s various religious and ethnic groups, providing education away from the country's sectarian divide. Iraq
Iraqi Kurds Criticize Growing Turkish Influence The KRG’s drive for autonomy and stability via Turkey is revealing the gaps between Kurdish economic and political aims and between KRG elites and local populations. Iraq
Gunmen Attack Convoy Of Syrian Cargo Trucks in Iraq Al-Qaeda in Iraq may be behind an attack on four cargo trucks carrying highly flammable material from Iraq to Syria on June 2. Iraq
Shiite Holiday Raises Fears Of More Bombings in Baghdad With the approach of a Shiite holiday expected to bring observers to the capital, authorities worry that the recent wave of car bombings will grow. Iraq
Al-Qaeda-Iraq Statement A Sign Of Rising Sectarian Violence In a rare public statement, al-Qaeda in Iraq has announced that it is meeting with Sunni leaders in the west of the country to join forces to fight the “Iranian Safavid gestapo.” Iraq
Is Iraq on Verge of New Civil War? Months of unrest in Iraq’s Sunni provinces, along with recent car bombings and other forms of sectarian violence, have raised concerns about another civil war. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s Lawyers Speak Out Against New Law Disputes emerge between lawyers in the Iraqi Kurdistan region in reaction to a new law allowing foreign lawyers to practice their profession there. Iraq
Iraqis Fear Return of 'Death Squads' To Baghdad Streets In light of escalating political crises and sectarian divisions in Iraq, some fear the return of Baghdad’s infamous "death squads," who reigned with terror over the past 10 years. Iraq
Fears of Civil War Cripple Baghdad Commerce As sectarian violence and car bombings continue to flare up across Iraq, new limits on mobility have created roadblocks to the flow of commerce in the country. Iraq