Why southern Syria remains Jordan’s biggest security threat

Amman and Washington's concern about an Iranian land corridor from Tehran to Beirut through Iraq and Syria has raised questions about steps Jordan might take along its border with southern Syria, into which extremists are expanding.

Iraq

Iraqi activists, journalists terrorized by armed groups

The kidnapping of a number of activists and journalists in Baghdad has members of Iraq's civil society worrying about their livelihood.

Iraq

Iraqi factions divided over whether US troops stay

Despite strong opposition from influential Shiite factions ready to engage in military clashes with US forces, the Iraqi government wants an agreement with the United States to ensure that US troops remain in Iraq after the elimination of the Islamic State.

Iraq

Iraq's Hatra retaken from IS militants, but still vulnerable

The liberation of the ancient city of Hatra from the Islamic State is only a small first step toward protecting its ancient treasures.

Iraq

Setting low bar for Trump-Erdogan meeting

With US-Turkey relations in crisis, the meeting of the US and Turkish presidents will be about appearances over substance; Saudis will press Trump on Iran; storm clouds over Sinjar; Hamas clamps down on journalists.

Saudi Arabia

Southern front lines stalled for weeks in west Mosul

Car bomb attacks have diminished as Iraqi forces are narrowing in on the remaining areas under Islamic State control in the city, but suicide bombers and snipers continue to claim victims among Iraqi forces holding defensive positions.

Iraq

US continues buildup of Iraqi Kurdish forces

The United States is supporting the Kurdistan Region by developing its military forces, but the support is a balancing act with Baghdad as they oppose building an independent Kurdish army.

Iraq

Iraqis point fingers over spurt of kidnappings

Sunni and Shiite officials trade accusations over recent forced disappearances of Iraqi civilians, which has fueled more sectarian strife in the country.

Iraq

Why liberating Mosul won't lead to the end of IS

Due to the wide remote area between Iraq and Syria, retaking Mosul will not mean an end to the Islamic State.

Iraq

Sinjar on brink of major conflict between PKK, Turkey

The city of Sinjar, west of Mosul, seems close to becoming a battleground for armed confrontations between the PKK and the Turkish army, especially after Ankara called for ground intervention against PKK fighters in Sinjar to prevent them from having a new base in the north of Iraq.

Iraq

How are Iraq's Yazidis faring amid Kurds' confrontations?

Turkey’s bombing of Yazidis' Sinjar homeland deepened the argument between the Kurdish Democratic Party and the Kurdistan Workers Party.

Iraq

Will Egypt play a role in Iraqi settlement?

The visit of Ammar al-Hakim, the head of the ruling Shiite Iraqi National Alliance, to Egypt could be an opportunity for Cairo to assume a mediator role to reach a political settlement and active role in the post-IS era in Iraq.

Egypt