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Iraq

September 6, 2026

Baghdad 8:08 pm

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A man walks past a mural depicting oil pumps and the Venezuelan flag, with portraits of Venezuelan independence leader Simon Bolivar (L) and former late President Hugo Chavez (R), in Caracas, Venezuela, on Sept. 3, 2026.

Analysis

Could Trump’s oil push in Venezuela upend OPEC’s energy order?

Washington’s growing role in controlling the Latin American country's crude riches could help reshape an energy order centered on OPEC as the Hormuz crisis pressures Gulf exports.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

After gun found in lake, French police probe link to 2012 Iraqi family murder

A recently discovered Luger pistol may have been used in the mysterious 2012 killing of the al-Hilli family near the Alpine town of Chevaline in eastern France.

AFP via Getty Images

Iraq sentences kidnapper of US journalist Shelly Kittleson to 15 years: What to know

The first sentencing in relation to Shelly Kittleson’s abduction comes as Iraq moves to rein in Iran-backed militias.

Iraqi army troops patrol the Iraq-Saudi Arabia border

Iraq reinforces Saudi border security amid militia tensions: What to know

Iraq is sending the reinforcements in response to Iran-backed militia attacks and as it looks to build security ties with Riyadh.

Latest News

Iraq summons Iran envoy over 'Persian Gulf' post, Baghdad name origins: What to know

Fred TANNEAU / AFP via Getty Images

Exclusive

Iraq's Zaidi set to make European debut with Macron in France

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi delivers a speech in Baghdad, May 16, 2026.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Amberin Zaman

Chief Correspondent

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Beatrice Farhat

Associate Editor (Lebanon)

In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict

Suadad al-Salhy

In Baghdad, reporting on politics and security

Lyse Mauvais

In Amman, reporting on humanitarian crises

Winthrop Rodgers

In Sulaymaniyah, reporting on Kurdish issues

A passenger walks beside a train in a train station in Baghdad May 6, 2013. Iraq's infrastructure is dilapidated after decades of war, sanctions and economic decline. In a country where piles of rubble and incomplete buildings are commonplace, almost every sector needs investment, including electricity and the sewage system. But the country is laying plans to rebuild its historic railways and become a transit hub for goods that would be shipped from Asia to Iraq’s neighbours and beyond. Iraq's railways date

Iraqi Women Endure Sexual Harassment

Increasing awareness of sexual harassment and abuse endured by Iraqi women on a daily basis has shed light on the need for social institutions to combat this kind of injustice.

Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki speaks during the International Islamic Conference for the Convergence and Dialogue in Baghdad April 27, 2013. REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION) - RTXZ1MF

Iraqi Politician Calls On Maliki to Step Down

Iraqi politician Fakhri Kareem has called on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to form a national salvation government and step down.

Two children carrying food and water walk in front of the shrine
containing the tomb of Jewish prophet Ezekiel in the Iraqi town of
Kifl, 140 km south of Baghdad, on Wednesday, July 16,2003. The town,
which has drawn visitors from across Iraq and beyond because of the
shrine and its picturesque ancient market, was the scene of a fierce
battle in which hundreds of people died during the Iraq war but it is
now bustling again. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini REUTERS

SR/CLH/ - RTRL2O

Israel's Iraq Channel

Exiled Iraqi Jews in Israel and elsewhere are convinced that the moment has come for Israel to build bridges to Iraq.

A soldier waves to pilgrims marching towards Imam Moussa al-Kadhim shrine in Baghdad's Kadhimiya district June 4, 2013. Every year, thousands of Shi'ite pilgrims gather at the shrine to commemorate the death of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim, one of the 12 imams of Shi'ite, who was imprisoned for four years and poisoned by the then ruler Harun al-Rashid in 795 AD. REUTERS/Saad Shalash (IRAQ - Tags: RELIGION MILITARY) - RTX10B2B

Iraq’s Security Services in Crisis

Iraq's security services are finding themselves unable to prevent terrorism.

An employee of the state-run South Oil Company (SOC) walks near a new oil storage tank near the southern city of Basra January 14, 2013. The head of the state-run South Oil Company said the new facility will add a capacity of one million barrels to the existing 5.5 million barrels available. REUTERS/Atef Hassan (IRAQ - Tags: ENERGY) - RTR3CG6E

OPEC Again Excludes Iraq from Oil Quotas

Decades of war and international sanctions have greatly hindered Iraq’s oil production potential, an issue the current government is struggling to address.

An electrician uses an Avometer to check wires connected to his local generator on a street in Baghdad, December 13, 2011. Iraq's financial system is slowly embracing the free market after years of tight control under Saddam; a fledging stock market is attracting foreign money while the banking and telecommunications industries are growing rapidly. But the national grid provides only a few hours of intermittent power a day, forcing Iraqis to live off noisy diesel-fueled generators. Picture taken December 13

Iraq Suffers Power Crisis As Temperatures Soar

Frustration continues to mount in Iraq with the government unable to deliver sufficient electricity despite eight years of promises by officials.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to film or take pictures in Tehran.

A view of Hojjatieh seminary (bottom) and the holy shrine of Hazrat Ma'soumeh (top), the sister of the seventh shi'ite Muslim Imam Reza, in the holy city of Qom, 120 Km (75 miles) south of Tehran, March 9, 2011. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: CITYSCAPE RELIGION) - RTR2JNXQ

Shiite Seminaries Divided On Fatwas for Syrian Jihad

While Shiite clergy in Iran and Iraq mostly prefer to stay out of issuing fatwas, a minority is calling for jihad in Syria against salafist groups.

ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUAL COVERAGE OF SCENES OF INJURY OR DEATH

An police officer inspects the site of a bomb attack at a coffee shop in Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, July 12, 2013. A bomb attack in a cafe in northern Iraq killed at least 31 people on Friday, police and medics said. The blast took place in the ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk, in a coffee shop where people had gathered after breaking their fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL U

During Ramadan, Militants Target Baghdad Liquor Stores, Cafes

Since the start of Ramadan, attacks by militants against liquor stores and other shops deemed “morally corrupt” have increased in Baghdad, with some accusing the government of being involved.

A view of al-Firdous square, where the statue of Saddam Hussein used to stand, in Baghdad April 9, 2012. U.S. Marines pulled down the statue of the dictator on April 9, 2003, marking the end of more than 35 years of iron-fisted rule by Saddam's Baath Party. REUTERS/Saad Shalash (IRAQ - Tags: CONFLICT POLITICS) - RTR30ITJ

Iraqi Politics Must Shake Legacy of Dictatorship

Although it has been 10 years since Saddam Hussein was ousted by US forces, Iraqi politics remain mired in the legacy of dictatorship.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) meets with Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu before attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) security meetings in Bandar Seri Begawan July 2, 2013. REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool (BRUNEI - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX119IY

Al-Monitor’s Gursel Wins Award; Watch US House on Syria

Al-Monitor’s coverage of press freedom in Turkey, the US House of Representatives on Syria, and Iraq as possible mediator on Iran; Daoud Kuttab discusses the Middle East with Fareed Zakaria.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Kurdistan Regional President Masoud Barzani pose for the media before their meeting in Istanbul April 19, 2012. REUTERS/Stringer/Pool (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR30XVX

Turkey’s Missed Opportunities With the Kurds

Disarray in Turkish foreign policy is not allowing Turkey to play its rightful role in supporting Kurdish national unity.

Iraqi Ambassador Says Iraq Willing To Help Bridge US-Iran Divide

Lukman Faily, Iraq’s Ambassador to Washington, says his country is ready to help, if asked, to mend US-Iran ties.