Iraq’s Sadr says 'exclude' armed groups from next government as pressure builds The cleric's call comes as Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi tries to form a government amid political divisions and US demands to curb the influence of Iran-backed actors. Iraq
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Hormuz clashes cloud diplomacy as US awaits Iran response US strikes and renewed exchanges in Hormuz cast doubt on the ceasefire as the Trump administration awaits Tehran’s response to a new proposal. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
US sets expectations for Iraq’s next PM to confront Iranian militias The Trump administration is cautiously sizing up Iraq’s new prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, as a potential partner in pushing back on Iranian influence. Iran
Analysis Iraq’s Zaidi offers economic promise for Turkey but unknowns loom Iraq’s prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, is expected to sustain growing economic and strategic ties with Turkey thanks to his business-oriented approach, though uncertainty over his political stance could test cooperation on sensitive issues. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis MENA wheat importers face food security risks as Hormuz crisis festers By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Iraqi female nurses struggle for equality Women in the health industry are looked down upon by Iraq's conservative society, but the need for nurses and for women to be employed are slowly liberalizing attitudes. Iraq
Teenage suicide bomber hopes for second chance In an interview with Al-Monitor, Usaid Barho, a teenaged suicide bomber dispatched by the Islamic State, tells of his odyssey from an Aleppo mosque to the gates of a Shiite house of worship in Baghdad wearing an explosive vest. Iraq
Russia and the Kurds Russia balances its relationships with various Kurdish groups with its support for the states the Kurds live under. Iraq
Iraqis dream of jinn Belief in superstition, magic and, more specifically, jinn — supernatural creatures in Islamic mythology — has pervaded Iraqi society across socioeconomic classes. Iraq
As Iraqis cope with past injustices, so should Israelis Iraqis are looking courageously into their past, examining the attacks against the Jewish community in the 1950s that forced it to flee the country, and Israelis should do the same by acknowledging the Palestinians' suffering. Palestine
Islamic State book burnings target minorities The Islamic State has imposed strict conditions for books entering Iraq by land, confiscating all those related to Christianity and slowly destroying cultural pluralism in Iraqi society. Iraq
Jordan to arm Sunni tribes in Iraq, Syria Jordan is concerned airstrikes alone will not defeat the Islamic State threat, and is considering arming Sunni tribes in Iraq and Syria to prevent the jihadists from reaching its borders. Iraq
Iraqi youths embrace religious traditions In the historic towns of Babil and Karbala, religion has come to determine every aspect of social life. Iraq
Iraqi town celebrates victory over Islamic State The Iraqi army, with the help of local tribes and the pro-Iran Badr Brigades, drove out the Islamic State from Dhuluiya, a town north of Baghdad. Iraq
Iraqi Cabinet approves budget reforms After failing to agree on a federal budget for 2014, Iraq’s Cabinet has finally approved and submitted its 2015 budget to parliament with an announcement to enact austerity plans. Iraq
Iran mourns general killed by IS in Iraq Iranian Gen. Hamid Taghavi, killed in Iraq, played in important role in Iran's efforts in the country. Iraq
Corruption lets Iraqi criminals off the hook Weak institutions and corruption mean that major crimes in Iraq are not being investigated or prosecuted. Iraq