This is Beirut, 05/11 15:15 - Reading : 9 minute(s)
Tik Tok Iraq Russia War Ukraine mercenary
Smiling broadly and clad in military fatigues, young Iraqi Mohammed Imad's last TikTok post was in a field carved up with heavy vehicle tracks in what appeared to be Ukraine. Smoke was rising behind him. "Pray for me," read the caption next to a Russian flag. That was in May. Months went by without a word, only rumors. Mohammed had been taken ...
This is Beirut, 03/11 09:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Iraq will hold parliamentary elections on November 11, with analysts saying Iran will be watching closely as it hopes to retain influence over its neighbor after losing regional leverage during the Gaza war. The past two years have seen Iran-backed groups including Palestinian militants Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Huthis in Yemen suffer ...
This is Beirut, 30/10 16:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
EDL lebanon Joe Saddi Iraq Dubai South Lebanon
Energy and Water Minister Joe Saddi defended his ministry’s energy policy, stressing that Lebanon “has nothing to hide” and is working to stabilize electricity production despite severe financial and technical constraints. In an interview with LBCI, Saddi said that public institutions in the South, including Electricity of Lebanon (EDL) and ...
Seth J. Frantzman , 23/10 15:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
In the early hours of October 15, an IED tore through a Chevy Tahoe in Baghdad’s northern outskirts, killing Safaa al-Mashhadani, a candidate in Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections. Three days later, gunmen opened fire on the office of another candidate, Muthanna al-Azzawi, 25 kilometers south of the Iraqi ...
This is Beirut, 15/10 12:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Iraq Baghdad Safaa al-Mashhadani elections
An Iraqi parliamentary candidate was killed and three of his bodyguards wounded when a bomb exploded near his car north of Baghdad, a security source said. The incident is the first killing of a candidate ahead of Iraq's parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 11. "A bomb exploded under the vehicle of Safaa al-Mashhadani, a current ...
This is Beirut, 09/10 22:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Sanctions United States Iran Iraq
The US Treasury on Thursday ramped up its Iran-related sanctions, targeting a firm with ties to Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq and the president of Iraq's Olympic Committee. In a statement, the Treasury Department accused these militias of helping "the Iranian regime in evading U.S. sanctions, smuggling weapons, and engaging in widespread ...
This is Beirut, 01/10 19:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Iraq United States US Army Pentagon
US and allied forces are reducing their presence in Iraq, the Pentagon said Wednesday, winding down a more than decade-long mission there against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group as planned. Washington and Baghdad agreed last year that the international coalition against IS, established in 2014 to help local forces retake territory seized by ...
This is Beirut, 27/09 13:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Iraq Oil and Gas Iraqi Kurdistan
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 ...
Salam El Zaatari, 25/09 10:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
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 ...
This is Beirut, 22/09 20:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Iran Sacred Defense Week Israel United States Abdolrahim Mousavi Iraq
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 ...
Lea Mehanna, 20/09 17:00 - Reading : less than a minute
Lebanon Iraq Culture Painting Arts
A pioneer of modern Arab art, Dia al-Azzawi returns to Lebanon with his solo exhibition False Witnesses at Saleh Barakat Gallery, reflecting on the turbulent recent history of his homeland, Iraq and the wider Arab world.
Christiane Tager, 20/09 12:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon Iraq economy fuel trade
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 ...