Iraq

Iraq political factions fail to agree on prime minister as US pressure mounts

It has been five months since Iraq had an election in November, 2025. However, the parties can’t agree on a prime minister.

 A protester holds a portrait of former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki during a protest against US President Donald Trump near the US embassy in Baghdad, on Jan. 29, 2026.
Oil barrels and several hundred dollars; Illustrative.

Iran’s poisoned chalice: can economic pressure end the regime? - opinion

IRGC Quds Force chief Esmail Qaani pictured in Tehran, Iran, February 17, 2026; illustrative.

Iran's IRGC Quds Force head Qaani visits Baghdad, meets Shi'ite political, militia leaders - report

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.

From Erbil to Rojhilat: A new Kurdish political alignment emerges - opinion


Hormuz war pushing millions into poverty, warns Bahrain Foreign Minister

Since the onset of the war with Iran, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has declined by more than 90%, a disruption that the UN warns could send 45 million people worldwide into acute hunger.

A worker rides a bicycle at the Zubair oil field in Basra, Iraq, April 6, 2026.

US boots on the ground in Iran could lead to widespread regional conflict, experts say

US forces operating on Iranian soil could trigger an unstoppable chain reaction across global shipping lanes, energy markets, and political fault lines.

US Army Soldiers conduct low-light, live fire training with M240B machine guns in the US Central Command area of responsibility.

Are Iraqi militias crossing into Iran to support Iran's war effort? - analysis

The militia forces could bolster the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran. They could also be used by Iran to enforce order and carry out suppression in some areas on its periphery.

 Members of an Iraqi Shi'ite armed group sit in a vehicle after an attack by a drone strike on an Iran-backed militia headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq January 4, 2024.

Strait of Hormuz to remain closed until Iran is compensated for war damages, Iranian official says

The IRGC Navy is currently in the process of completing operational preparations for a "new order in the Persian Gulf," the post read, emphasizing that the strait would be permanently changed.

An Indian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier, Shivalik, arrives at Mundra Port via the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Gujarat, India, March 16, 2026.

Deal with Iran can happen 'as soon as Monday,' Trump tells Fox News

This comes only hours after Trump threatened to strike Iran's power plants and bridges on Tuesday if it does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz immediately.

US President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One on March 1.

From diplomacy to bombs: Western nihilism fueled Iran’s expansion - opinion

Decades of Western diplomacy misjudged Iran’s ideology, fueling a war that the West was unprepared for.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks on the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, in February.

Iraqi PMF presence in Iran raises alarm over crackdown, potential US ground war

PMF units reportedly entered Iran last January and assisted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the massacre of civilians.

Shi'ite Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) members hold an Islamic State flag, which they pulled down, during the war between Iraqi army and Shi'ite Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) against the Islamic State militants in Tal Afar, Iraq August 27, 2017.

Foreign journalist holding US passport kidnapped in Baghdad by unknown parties, police say

One suspect had been arrested, the ministry said, adding that efforts were ongoing to free the journalist.

 Shelly Kittleson with an Afghani interview subject in 2024.

Exposing the hidden forces in the Iranian war

Shir Perets debunks viral claims and examines the narratives driving the conversation around Israel and the war.

Shir Perets debunks viral claims and examines the narratives driving the conversation around Israel and the war.

Jordan seeks calm as Iran war rattles the region - analysis

Jordan had said it “strongly condemned today the Iranian attack on its territory involving ballistic missiles" when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

An Iranian missile has fallen on a home on February 28, 2026 in Amman, Jordan.