Iraq

Iraqis Take Part in Paragliding Championship in Dohuk

Competitors take part in the Iraqi Paragliding Championship, held on Zawa Mountain on the outskirts of Dohuk, in autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan. "Flying is everyone's dream. Ever since I was a child, I've dreamed of flying, and four years ago, that dream came true... In 2021, I joined the Dohuk club, I started training and paragliding, and ...

Iraqi Markets a Haven for Peddlers Escaping Iran's Economic Woes

Every Friday, Alawi crosses the border from Iran into Iraq to sell his produce in the markets of Basra, which serve as a haven for Iranians grappling with economic sanctions. He is just one of many Iranian peddlers who endure the arduous journey into southern Iraq through the Chalamja border crossing. They bring essential goods such as chicken, ...

Iraq Says Seized One Ton of Captagon from Syria via Turkey

Iraqi security forces have seized more than a ton of captagon, an illegal stimulant, smuggled from Syria via Turkey, the interior ministry said on Sunday. Ministry spokesman General Moqdad Miri said the Narcotics Directorate "seized a truck from Syria, bound for Iraq, via Turkey, transporting 1.1 tons" of the synthetic drug in tablet ...

Iraq Says Killed Senior Islamic State Group Leader

Iraqi security forces have killed a senior Islamic State (IS) group leader responsible for foreign operations, according to the country's prime minister, with US President Donald Trump saying later Friday his "miserable life was terminated". Although Iraq had proclaimed in 2017 the defeat of the jihadist group on its territory, IS cells have ...

Senior Daesh Commander Killed by Iraq Security Forces

Iraqi security forces have killed a senior Daesh group leader responsible for "foreign operations," Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced on Friday. Although Iraq had proclaimed in 2017 the defeat of the jihadist group on its territory, Daesh cells have remained active and carry out sporadic attacks against Iraq's army and ...

Syrian Foreign Minister Conducts First Visit to Iraq Since Assad's Fall

Syria's interim foreign minister arrived in Iraq on Friday, conducting his first visit to the country since his Islamist alliance toppled Bashar al-Assad. Relations between neighbors Syria and Iraq have become more complicated since the fall of Assad, who was a close ally of the government in Baghdad. In Baghdad, Syria's top diplomat, Assaad ...

Iraq Says Seeking Alternatives to Iran Gas

Iraq is exploring alternatives to Iranian gas imports, including options in the Gulf, a government official said, as it seeks to reduce dependence on its sanctions-hit neighbor. The administration of US President Donald Trump announced over the weekend its decision to end a sanction's waiver that had allowed Iraq to buy electricity from Iran, ...

US Ends Waiver for Iraq to Buy Iranian Electricity

The United States has ended a sanctions waiver that allowed Iraq to buy electricity from neighboring Iran, in line with President Donald Trump's policy of exerting "maximum pressure" on Tehran. In a statement Sunday, the State Department said the decision not to renew the waiver was made to "ensure we do not allow Iran any ...

Iraq and BP Finalize Deal to Develop New Oil Fields

Iraq and energy giant BP finalized an agreement to develop oil fields in the northern province of Kirkuk, Iraqi authorities and the British company said Tuesday. The mega-project covers petroleum production, the rehabilitation of existing facilities, the capture and use of natural gas produced alongside crude oil, and potential exploration ...

Iraq’s Famed ‘Hunchback’ of Mosul Rebuilt Brick by Brick

The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Audrey Azoulay, hailed the completion of the agency’s restoration work in Iraq’s Mosul during a visit to the country’s second-largest city, after the destruction inflicted by the Islamic State group. “What we have done here with the ...

Turkey FM Calls for Regional Cooperation to Fight PKK

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for combined regional efforts to combat outlawed Kurdish fighters in Iraq and neighbouring Syria during a visit to Baghdad on Sunday. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state, holds positions in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, which ...

Iraq Parliament Adopts Revised Bill After Outcry Over Child Marriage

Iraq's parliament passed into law on Tuesday a revised bill that had sparked outrage over fears it rolled back women's rights and permitted underage marriage. The parliament said on its website that it had adopted "the proposal to amend the Personal Status Law", as well as "the second amendment of the general amnesty law". The amendment to the ...