Iraq's Shiite alliance nominates Ali al-Zaidi as PM candidate: What to know Ali al-Zaidi, who leads a bank accused of money laundering, received support from previous nominee Nouri al-Maliki and incumbent Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, though it remains unclear whether the Trump administration will approve of him. Iraq
Split over Maliki, Iraq’s Shiite bloc delays PM vote as deadline nears: What to know Two other candidates have emerged as alternatives to Coordination Framework nominee and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is openly opposed by the Trump administration. Iraq
How Syria's border opening with Iraq redefines Turkey-Kurd balance After years of closure, the reopening of al-Yaaroubiya crossing is redrawing Kurdish economic leverage and reinforcing Turkey’s regional strategy. Syria
IMF slashes Mideast outlook by nearly 3 points as Iran war hits economies The International Monetary Fund cut gross domestic product forecasts for the Middle East and North Africa, with the fallout from the conflict exposing stark divergences between the region’s energy exporters and importers. Iran
Exclusive 'King of Iraq': Top judge Zaidan played key role in Shelly Kittleson's release By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis How fast can Gulf energy production rebound after US-Iran ceasefire? By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Iraq's Kadhimi had full agenda for meetings in Iran In his second trip to Tehran, Mustafa al-Kadhimi discussed the two nations' economic relationship, energy sales and reducing regional tension. Iraq
LISTEN: Assyrian Church of the East elects new patriarch The new leader of the historic church must now navigate the unique political and spiritual challenges facing his shrinking community in Iraq and its worldwide diaspora. Iraq
Iraq focuses on voter security ahead of elections The Iraqi government has already thwarted attempts at fraud and election rigging ahead of Oct. 10. Iraq
Iraqi PM vows to fix Kirkuk security issues after gruesome Islamic State attack Following an Islamic State attack in which over a dozen Iraqi policemen were killed, the prime minister criticized military leaders’ “shortcomings” and pledged to address the issue. Meanwhile, counterterrorism operations continue in the same disputed province to prevent further attacks. Iraq
Iraqi protest groups will sit out October elections Iraqi protest groups, which have emerged since October 2019, are calling for wholesale reform of the Iraqi political system. Iraq
Iraqi government says it thwarted cyber plot to rig elections Iraqi authorities succeeded in uncovering plans by cyber hackers to rig the elections, which may end up persuading Iraqi voters to cast their ballots in October. Iraq
Turkish opposition courts Kurds in trip to Erbil The Republican People’s Party, Turkey’s main opposition party, has sent a senior delegation to Iraq's Kurdistan Region, perhaps because popular elections have become difficult to win without Kurdish votes. Turkey
Norway police seize nearly 100 artifacts reportedly missing from Iraq The cuneiform tablets and other artifacts were reportedly recovered from a private collection in Norway. Iraq
Threatened Yazidi interpreters in Iraq say Afghan evacuation a wake-up call Former Iraqi interpreters already hunted because of their faith say the rush to rescue wartime allies from Taliban-run Afghanistan should serve as a cautionary tale. Iraq
International observers prepare for Iraq's elections Hundreds of international observers are gearing up for the legislative elections in Iraq on Oct. 10 in an attempt to help Iraqis conduct transparent and fair elections. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdish leader helps ease Turkey-UAE tensions Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani helped facilitate a recent phone call between Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
Taliban victory inspires pro-Iran militias in Iraq The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has encouraged Sunni extremist armed groups in Syria and pro-Iran Shiite militias in Iraq. Iraq
