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Iraq

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Iraq. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Baghdad

Head of State

President Abdul Latif Rashid

Head of Government

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani

last updated:

6 January, 2025

Members of the left-wing nationalist Turkish Youth Union (TGB) during a protest against the new solution process to be carried out with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), in Istanbul on Sunday. Photo: AFp

Middle East

Turkish pro-Kurd MPs meet veteran Kurdish leader in Iraq

The Turkish delegation visited Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, near Arbil, capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

16 Feb 2025 - 11:28PM

Middle East

‘New era’: Iraq PM says he will sign security deal with Britain

14 Jan 2025 - 12:39PMvideocam

History

Like a giant jigsaw puzzle, Iraq’s historic treasures become whole again

12 Jan 2025 - 5:15PM

Trending in China

‘Living in paradise’: Iraqi shares love for China after fleeing war-torn homeland

Man takes refuge from war in country, forges careers in acting, modelling before learning Mandarin, attracting huge audience with food reviews.

9 Jan 2025 - 10:41AM

A man who fled war-torn Iraq in the 1990s to forge a new life in China has attracted a massive online following with food reviews from across the nation. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

Israel-Gaza war

Opinion | The West and the rest: how genocide in Gaza will usher in the end of ‘his-story’

The breach of international laws by the West has led non-Western countries to seek new global historical narratives and tell ‘our-stories’.

4 Jan 2025 - 12:00PM

Terrorism

FBI says New Orleans truck attacker acted alone, was ‘100% inspired’ by Isis

Investigators seek clues to Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s path to radicalisation following deadly New Orleans rampage.

3 Jan 2025 - 2:42PMvideocam

Middle East

Turkey’s pro-Kurd party to meet jailed PKK leader on Saturday

Jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan is serving a life sentence on a prison island off Istanbul.

28 Dec 2024 - 7:30PM

Supporters of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) display flags with a portrait of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan, in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 17. Photo: Reuters

Syria

Syrian rebels capture city of Hama in fresh blow to President Assad

Hama is critical to the control of major towns as Syrian rebels stage rapid advances.

6 Dec 2024 - 11:59AM

Middle East

Syrian conflict escalates as US-backed forces clash with Assad’s troops

The clashes come after rebel advances in Aleppo and Hama, highlighting the volatile situation in the region.

3 Dec 2024 - 8:30PM

Middle East

Iraqi fighters head to Syria to battle rebels but Hezbollah stays out: sources

Iran also said it will provide ‘any support needed’ after rebels seized Aleppo last week in a lightning assault.

3 Dec 2024 - 10:08AM

Syrian rebels on top of a military aircraft after gaining control of the Nayrab military airport in Aleppo on Monday. Photo: dpa

Donald Trump

Will Trump’s cabinet picks ignite tensions in the Middle East and South Asia?

While Israel and India may be ‘happy’ with Trump’s nominees, analysts say they have raised fears of conflict with Iran and regional instability.

16 Nov 2024 - 8:19AM

Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump during a campaign event in Pennsylvania in October. Trump has picked Huckabee as US ambassador to Israel. Photo: Reuters

United States

Iraqis tortured at Abu Ghraib awarded US$42 million from US defence contractor

Civilian employees from CACI were accused of encouraging US soldiers to abuse detainees at the notorious prison.

13 Nov 2024 - 3:25AM

Middle East

Iran preparing to strike Israel from Iraq within days, US report says

Attacking through pro-Iran militias in Iraq could be a bid by Tehran to avoid Israeli retaliation on its own soil, the article says.

1 Nov 2024 - 5:16AMvideocam

Middle East

Pro-Iran protesters storm offices of Saudi-linked TV channel in Iraq

The ransack came following the airing of a report referring to commanders of Tehran-backed militant groups as “terrorists”.

19 Oct 2024 - 7:11PM

Iraqi activists hold the Palestine and Lebanon flag during a gathering at Al-firdos square in central Baghdad, Iraq, on Friday. Dozens of activists gather in central Baghdad to denounce the ongoing Israeli military strikes and operations in both Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Photo; EPA/EFE

Middle East

Pro-Iran groups ransack Saudi television channel’s Iraq office

It followed a report by Saudi broadcaster MBC that referred to the leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups as ‘terrorists’.

19 Oct 2024 - 1:28PMvideocam

Iraqis carry images of the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during an anti-Israel rally in Karbala, south of Baghdad on Friday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Israel-Gaza war

Israel intensifies bombardment of Gaza, southern Lebanon before October 7 anniversary

Israel is battling Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as it prepares to strike Iran for a ballistic missile attack.

7 Oct 2024 - 9:28AM

Middle East

Opinion | How a wider Middle East war could bring a world recession

Volatile oil prices, shaky investor confidence and prospects of interest rate increases threaten a global slowdown if Israel’s war expands.

5 Oct 2024 - 5:59AMvideocam

China's military weapons

Can China’s military jets find favour in arms markets dominated by US, Russia?

From Central Asia to Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Chinese-made warplanes offer an alternative to an increasing number of nations.

2 Oct 2024 - 10:29PMvideocam

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev at a formal presentation of the JF-17C (Block-III) multirole fighter jets which were co-developed by China and Pakistan. Photo: Facebook/Ilham Aliyev

China-Japan relations

Opinion | Don’t hate people for their political leaders’ wars and crimes

It is the leaders, not the regular people, who use the military might of nations to invade other countries and oppress other peoples.

29 Sep 2024 - 5:30AMvideocam

Middle East

Iraqi women fear rise in child marriages as lawmakers mull more say for clerics

Proposed amendments would allow Iraqis to turn to religious courts on issues of family law, including marriage

4 Sep 2024 - 11:52PMvideocam

Islamic State

15 Islamic State militants killed in desert raid by US and Iraqi forces

The US military says the joint operation targeted the Isis militants in Iraq’s western Anbar Desert region.

31 Aug 2024 - 3:13PM

US and Iraqi forces said 15 militants were killed in a joint operation targetting Islamic State. File photo: AP

Middle East

28 killed as bus carrying Pakistan pilgrims crashes in Iran

The pilgrims had been on their way to Iraq to commemorate the death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein, at the hands of the Muslim Umayyad forces in the Battle of Karbala.

21 Aug 2024 - 4:14PM

The aftermath of a bus crash near Taft, Iran, early on Wednesday. Photo: Iranian state television/AP

Israel-Gaza war

Top Iraqi Shiite cleric warns of Middle East escalation

Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani warned of the risk of a regional escalation with potentially “catastrophic consequences”.

10 Aug 2024 - 8:17PM

Britain

Former ‘IS bride’, Shamima Begum, loses UK citizenship removal appeal bid

Shamima Begum had hoped to challenge an earlier ruling in which she lost an appeal against the removal of her citizenship.

7 Aug 2024 - 11:20PM

Israel-Gaza war

Blinken warns Iran and Israel not to ‘escalate’ conflict in Middle East

Iran has vowed a response after Israel was suspected of killing Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

7 Aug 2024 - 10:45AMvideocam

People take part in a march in Saida, Lebanon to protest against the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukur. Photo: AFP

Pakistan

Pakistani with Iran ties charged in US political assassinations plot

US prosecutors said Asif Merchant, 46, orchestrated a plot to kill an unidentified politician or US government officials.

7 Aug 2024 - 10:07AM

Pakistani Asif Merchan has been charged in a plot to carry out political assassinations on US soil. Photo: Justice Department via AP

United States

China’s ‘coercive behaviour’ scrutinised at US-Australia talks

‘Shared security challenges’ tackled by two allies as ministerial consultations feature each country’s top defence and diplomatic officials.

7 Aug 2024 - 11:50PMvideocam

Middle East

US personnel wounded in attack on Iraq base as Middle East teeters on brink

Rocket attack on a base added to heightened regional tensions over an expected Iranian counter-attack on Israel.

6 Aug 2024 - 12:09PM

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