Iraq

Iraq Resumes Kurdish Oil Exports after Two-Year halt

Iraq resumed crude exports from the autonomous Kurdistan region on Saturday after a more than two-year halt over legal and technical disputes. Control over lucrative oil exports has been a major point of contention between Baghdad and Arbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, with a key pipeline to Turkey shut since 2023. Iraq's oil ministry ...

The United Nations: A Global Stage Without Teeth

When Donald Trump addressed the UN General Assembly yesterday, his words reignited an old debate: Is the United Nations an effective institution for peace and security, or merely a costly theater where leaders posture? Trump called the UN “obsolete,” echoing his long-standing skepticism about multilateral organizations. But behind the bluster ...

Iran’s Top General Warns of “Strategic Surprises” Amid Sacred Defense Week

The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, issued a stern warning on Monday, asserting that the country is prepared to deliver “strategic surprises” in response to any attack. In a message marking the commencement of Sacred Defense Week, he emphasized Iran’s growing deterrent capabilities and stated ...

Iraq–Lebanon: A Vital but Uneven Partnership

For the first time in a decade, the Lebanese–Iraqi Joint Commission reconvened in Baghdad in September 2025, concluding its second session with the signing of seven accords. These span the economy, industry, transport and justice, including a treaty on prisoner transfers. The move sends a strong political signal and builds on an already pivotal ...

Iraq Signs $1bn Investment Deals with World Bank's IFC

Iraq signed on Saturday investment deals worth $1 billion in its energy, agriculture and finance sectors with the World Bank's private sector arm, as the country seeks to build on its economic recovery following years of unrest. At a ceremony marking two decades of the International Finance Corporation's presence in Iraq, Prime Minister Mohammed ...

Baghdad Clashes Kill Six, Including Four Police

Clashes between members of two local tribes in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, have killed at least six people, including four policemen who intervened in the violence, the interior ministry said on Sunday. Iraqi security officials, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said that the clashes late Saturday erupted over increased fees for a ...

Ancient Tombs Unearthed in Iraq due to Drought

Archaeologists in drought-hit Iraq have discovered 40 ancient tombs after water levels in the country's largest reservoir declined, an antiquities official said Saturday. The tombs, believed to be over 2,300 years old, were unearthed at the edges of the Mosul Dam reservoir in the Khanke region of Duhok province in the country's north. "So far, ...

Iraq Seeks to Repatriate “Hundreds” of Foreign Female Prisoners and their Children

Iraq has announced plans to send back to their home countries “hundreds” of foreign women prisoners and their children, but two foreign diplomats told AFP on Monday that such procedures are expected to take a long time. The initiative excludes women sentenced to death but covers detainees affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group as well ...

Deadly Clashes as Iraqi Kurdistan Opposition Figure Arrested

      Three members of the security forces in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region were killed and 19 wounded during the arrest of an opposition figure on Friday, security officials said. Lahur Sheikh Jangi surrendered after barricading himself in a luxury hotel with his guards, said one official who requested anonymity due to ...

Iraq-Lebanon Dismantle Major Captagon Factory

The Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday that, in coordination with Lebanese authorities, one of the largest Captagon factories in the Middle East has been dismantled. In a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the ministry said that “close security and intelligence cooperation between Iraq’s General Directorate of ...

Lebanon, a Transit Hub for Iraqi Oil

Will Iraqi oil once again flow through Tripoli, capital of North Lebanon? The project is back on the table, but its outcome remains uncertain. Baghdad is signaling determination. Oil Minister Hayan Abdel Ghani confirmed that the option is under serious study. To show goodwill, he also mentioned the possible rehabilitation of Kirkuk-Baniyas ...