Iraq

Iraqi parliment appoints Kurdish Nizar Amedi as new president

The decision to elect Nizar Amedi could have ramifications for Iraq, given that Amedi is Kurdish and was supported by the Kurdish PUK party, which is considered friendly to Iran.

Iraq’s newly elected president Nizar Amedi attends a parliamentary session in Baghdad, Iraq, April 11, 2026.
US JOURNALIST Shelly Kittleson is pictured in Baghdad on March 31, shortly before she was abducted. Her disappearance has focused attention on the threat posed by Iran-backed militias and the deteriorating security environment in postwar Iraq.

Iraq’s militia state: Shelly Kittleson’s kidnapping exposes who runs Baghdad

Smoke rises from southern Lebanon following Israeli airstrikes, April 11, 2026.

Netanyahu: Israel's campaign against Iran 'not over yet,' as US-Iran ceasefire talks to continue

Smoke rises after an explosion at the US Embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq, following a rocket and drone attack, according to security sources, March 17, 2026.

US summons Iraqi ambassador over drone strike on diplomatic facility in Baghdad


Iran threatens US, Israel-linked universities across Middle East

According to Rudaw media, the IRGC threatened that all Israeli and US-tied universities in the region have been deemed "legitimate targets" in the ongoing war.

People stand at the main gate entrance of the American University of Beirut (AUB), in Beirut, Lebanon, January 21, 2021.

Mojtaba Khamenei thanks Iraq for support during war in rare message since becoming Supreme Leader

The message did not include any evidence that Khamenei, who has not been publicly seen since the war began last month, is alive.

A man walks next to a poster with a picture of Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, March 22, 2026

Iranian-backed militias escalate in Iraq, targeting Kurdistan Region president Nechirvan Barzani

The attack has been condemned by France and Iraq, but Iran has distanced itself from the incident.

Nechirvan Barzani, President of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region, gives a joint press conference with France's Foreign Minister in Arbil, the regional capital, on February 5, 2026.

Rubio holds call with Iraqi Kurdish leader, State Department says

The war in Iran has raised oil prices and shaken global markets.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks on the day of classified briefings for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on the situation in Iran, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, March 3, 2026.

When Iran becomes the battlefield, its proxies go their own way - opinion

The Axis of Resistance may not be the unified alliance it was once assumed to be.

HOUTHI TERRORISTS carry weapons as they stand near the site of Israeli airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, in September. Iran has reportedly lost control of the Houthis, the writer notes.

Iran-backed Iraqi militias attack Kurdistan over 450 times since beginning of war

“The attacks, carried out by Iran and its aligned Iraqi militia groups, have killed at least 14 people and wounded 85 others," Erbil-based Rudaw Media Network noted.

SMOKE RISES from the site of a drone crash on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq, March 12, 2026.

Iran struggles to assert control in Iraq amid strikes, militia attacks, tensions - analysis

The Kurdish leadership of the autonomous region is outraged, and Iran has appeared to walk back the attack. However, in other areas, it continues to try to assert itself.

AN IRANIAN ballistic missile on display in Tehran.

Seven Iraqi soldiers killed, 13 wounded in strike near PMF base in Anbar

Smoke rose from the location following the attack, the sources added.

People stand amidst debris following an attack on a building in Erbil, Iraq, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video released March 25, 2026.

Two injured after Hezbollah slams northern Israel with rockets, IDF drops 15,000 bombs in Iran

Iranian missile falls near Israel's largest power station in Hadera • IDF kills Hamas Nukhba force terrorists • Lebanese army 'lied to the IDF,' didn't disarm Hezbollah in southern Lebanon •

Workers operate at the scene where a missile fired from Iran caused damage in Tel Aviv, March 25, 2026

UAE security under fire: Lessons from regional crises, Arab divisions - opinion

National security cannot be managed through political play-acting but rather through precise calculations of power.

A general view of buildings and and construction cranes, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 7, 2026.