Iraq

The draft law, some details of which surfaced last November, is focused on managing the return of PKK fighters and civilians from hideouts in northern Iraq, setting out how they will be processed.

It also remained unclear whether the military movements had affected border crossings or civilian and commercial traffic between the two countries.  

Trump is backing a revived Iraq-Syria oil pipeline to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and reshape Middle East energy.

The United Kingdom Maritime and Trade Operations (UKMTO) center said in a post on X/Twitter that a cargo vessel had been hit by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman.

Iranian-backed militias are using Iraq as a staging ground to launch attacks against neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia, Syria, Kuwait, and Jordan.

The removal of US Patriot systems could leave Iraqi Kurdistan more vulnerable after nearly 1,000 missiles and drones targeted the region since February.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS: The choreography surrounding the Netanyahu-Trump meeting has fueled speculation about a widening rift - and whether Israel and the US remain coordinated on Iran.

The recent joint US-Saudi attacks marked the first time Riyadh has publicly joined strikes alongside Washington.

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.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's office denounced the strikes, stating that it is the Iraqi government’s responsibility to deal with security concerns originating within its borders.