Baghdad

Iraq deepens ties with Jordan as Baghdad looks to strengthen regional alliances - analysis

Iraq and Jordan signed nine cooperation agreements during Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's visit to Amman, focusing on trade, energy and security amid growing regional tensions.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, not pictured, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York City, US, September 21, 2026.
Iraqi security forces stand at the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran after Iraq closed the crossing following airstrikes on the Iranian side that security sources said killed an Iraqi citizen, Iraq, April 4, 2026.

Tensions continue to mount as Iraq balances the Iran border crossing closures with national needs

Iraqi security forces stand at the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran after Iraq closed the crossing following airstrikes on the Iranian side that security sources said killed an Iraqi citizen, Iraq, April 4, 2026.

Iraq's government struggling amid threats of rebellion, protests, rising Iran tensions - analysis

Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi (C) looks on during the family photo during the 52nd session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Baghdad on October 17, 2026.

Iraqi PM orders investigation into provincial council threats over closed Iran border crossing


Iran-linked drone attacks target Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq

A Kurdish Iranian opposition group said Iran targeted its headquarters in northern Iraq, the latest in a series of attacks on anti-Tehran factions.

Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party, known as PAK take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq February 12, 2026.

Iraqi military commander dismissed following drone attack on Saudi Arabia originating from Iraq

Later on Saturday, Iraq ordered the closure of the Shalamcheh border crossing between Iraq and Iran as a precautionary measure after the drone attacks, two security sources told Reuters.

Iraqi Prime Minister and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi chairs the Ministerial Council for National Security for an emergency meeting, to discuss the latest security developments and the attack carried out by the US and Saudi air forces, Baghdad, Iraq, July 29, 2026.

Voices from the Arab Press: China’s Iran dilemma, Israel elections, Hezbollah US talks

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses of the Arab media around the world.

THEN-IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (L), Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang, and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud meet in Beijing, April 2023.

The Kurds rose as Syria and Iraq collapsed - now, their fortunes are reversing

BEHIND THE LINES: If and when the current strategy fails, the Kurds may need to be reached again. Hopefully, by the time this occurs, they will be able to take advantage of the moment in full.

KURDISH FIGHTERS from the Qamishli Brigade on parade last month.

US diplomatic reshuffle in Iraq comes at critical moment for Baghdad and Washington - analysis

US Chargé d’Affaires Joshua Harris is ending his posting in Baghdad as Washington prepares for a diplomatic transition amid the planned US troop withdrawal from Iraq and ongoing tensions.

 An illustrative image of the Syrian and Iraqi flags.

Iraq approves three month mechanism to export crude via local, international firms

Iraq is seeking to diversify its oil export channels and maintain flexibility in marketing its crude amid the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A worker checks an oil pipeline at Nahr Bin Umar oil field, north of Basra, Iraq March 22, 2022.

Tehran’s control over Baghdad may create conditions for more extreme protests, expert tells ‘Post’

Iraq’s failure to pay July salaries could trigger wider, potentially violent protests as oil export disruptions and US financial controls strain Baghdad, an expert said.

Oil trucks arrive from Iraq, on their way to the Baniyas oil terminal, in Qamishli, Syria, May 11, 2026..

US-Saudi Arabia airstrikes target Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces militia in Iraq

The strikes followed a series of drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia. The United States has made clear that it believes Iran-directed militias are responsible for the escalation.

A man looks on near damage at a site belonging to Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) following airstrikes that the PMF said were carried out by US and Saudi forces, in Bartella, Nineveh province, Iraq, July 29, 2026.

Iraq forced to balance US, Iran relations after separate meetings with Trump, Iranian ambassador

Over the last decade, Iraq has been weakened from within because of Iranian-backed militias. Some of the militias have historical ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran.

Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi speaks during a parliamentary session to vote in a new government headed by Ali al-Zaidi as prime minister, at the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, May 14, 2026.

US pushes Mediterranean oil pipelines to bypass Strait of Hormuz despite proxy security risks

Middle East correspondent Battaglia said that, in her view, if it were up to al-Zaidi, Baghdad would already have decided to chart its future with the United States rather than with Iran.

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi as they participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington.