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Iraq

July 13, 2026

Baghdad 11:37 am

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An aerial view shows port of the western Syrian port city of Latakia, on Dec. 18, 2024.

Analysis

Can a UAE-backed Syria-Iraq corridor become Gulf's next trade route?

On June 26, Emirati and Syrian officials discussed plans for a logistics corridor connecting Syrian ports to Gulf markets via Iraq.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP via Getty Images

Here's what to know about Iraq's corruption as Zaidi launches crackdown

Watchdogs and financial institutions regard Iraq as a significantly corrupt country as the new prime minister works to recover public funds.

aqi security personnel patrol in a vehicle along a street in Baghdad on June 28, 2026.

Analysis

Iraqi PM’s anti-corruption drive comes as US pressure mounts on Iran-backed militias

Iraq’s new prime minister has launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign ahead of key talks in Washington, but analysts say the real test will be whether it reaches Iraq’s most powerful Iran-backed actors.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

Explainer

After UAE and Qatar, could Iraq be next to leave OPEC?

A worker at a market for fuel oil and automotive fuel on March 17, 2026, in Erbil, Iraq.

Iraq taps Krikor Der-Hagopian as first Armenian Christian ambassador to US

Krikor Der-Hagopian at the 9th Sulaimani Forum, in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, on April 16, 2025.

Exclusive

Barrack heads to Iraq as US presses Baghdad on Iran-backed militias

Tom Barrack

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

NAJAF, IRAQ: An Iraqi Shiite scholar (2nd L) lectures a student while another one (R) reviews his lesson at a religious school for clerics, known in Arabic as Haouza, in the holy city of Najaf, 160 kms (100 miles) south of Baghdad, 05 August 2006. The teaching method at the clerical school in Najaf has not radically changed since its establishment in 1056 AD, with the exception of adding natural sciences subjects to the curriculum. AFP PHOTO/ALI AL-SAADI (Photo credit should read ALI AL-SAADI/AFP/Getty I

Najaf's Shiite seminaries enter 21st century

Throughout its history, the Shiite seminaries in Najaf, Iraq, have witnessed massive changes in curricula, with an expansion in the number and scope of subjects offered.

An Iraqi man walks past an electoral campaign poster along a street in the capital Baghdad on April 3, 2014. Campaigning for Iraq's April 30 general election opened, with Maliki bidding for a third term as his government grapples with the country's worst bloodshed in years. AFP PHOTO/ALI AL-SAADI (Photo credit should read ALI AL-SAADI/AFP/Getty Images)

Divisive sectarian rhetoric dominates lead-up to Iraq vote

As elections approach in Iraq, sectarian rhetoric has distracted voters from more serious issues.

Iraqi security forces personnel are seen during clashes with the al Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Babel province south of Baghdad, April 2, 2014. Four members of the ISIL and one member of Iraqi security forces were killed during clashes, according to an Iraqi Army officer. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS CONFLICT) - RTR3JPFM

ISIS expands in areas around Baghdad

Witnesses report that the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has been entering cities surrounding Baghdad, raising al-Qaeda flags and leaving before the arrival of security forces.

Iraq's Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani shows his ink-stained finger at a polling station in Arbil, capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region, about 350 km (217 miles) north of Baghdad, September 21, 2013. Iraqi Kurds went to the polls on Saturday to vote for a new parliament at a time when their oil-producing region is seeking greater autonomy from Baghdad, against a backdrop of violent instability in the rest of Iraq and the wider Middle East. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari (IRAQ - Tags: ELECTIONS POLITICS) -

Iraqi Kurds still deadlocked over new government

Iraqi Kurdish political parties remain in a stalemate over the formation of a new regional government, six months after parliamentary elections were held in Iraqi Kurdistan.

An Iraqi homeless person sleeps inside a street tunnel in central Baghdad, 14 November 2007. A roadside bomb attack targeting a US patrol near Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone killed today two Iraqi civilians and wounded three, security officials said. AFP PHOTO/SABAH ARAR (Photo credit should read SABAH ARAR/AFP/Getty Images)

Iraq’s homeless suffer from neglect, exploitation

Homeless people in Iraq are often neglected by the state, and some armed groups take advantage of their situation to try to recruit them.

An Iraqi Dervish prays during a gathering outside their Tekiyah, a place of worship, in Baghdad, May 29, 2003. Swaying gently at first, chanting in monotones, the Dervishes slowly build up to a frenzy of prayers. Dervishes are Sufis, a spiritual offshoot of Islam, who believe their bodies open up to the energy of God when they are in prayer. Pictures of the month May 2003 NO RIGHTS CLEARANCES OR PERMISSIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS IMAGE REUTERS/Damir Sagolj PP05080023 JD/CRB - RTROHMO

Sufi music makes comeback in Iraq

Although Western influences have transformed the music scene in Iraq in recent decades, leading to a focus on fast beats and pop music, a number of Iraqis are trying to revive popular interest in traditional Sufi songs.

Iraqi Protesters hold a banner during a demonstration against the draft of the "Al-Jafaari" Personal Status Law during International Women's Day in Baghdad March 8, 2014. Protesters say the law, which involves the use of Shi'ite Jafaari law with regards to divorce, marriage and inheritance, will restrict their personal rights, according to local media. On March 8 activists around the globe celebrate International Women's Day, which dates back to the beginning of the 20th Century and has been observed by the

Iraq civil activists fight to preserve constitutional rights

Despite the civil rights safeguarded by the Iraqi constitution, conservative political parties have been increasing restricting citizens’ freedoms in recent years.

Demonstrators hold Kurdish and Syrian opposition flags during a protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Kobani, near Aleppo, July 16, 2012. Picture taken July 16, 2012. REUTERS/Shaam News Network/Handout (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - RTR350D5

Syrian Kurds blame Iran, Turkey for ISIS attacks

Syria's main Kurdish force, the Democratic Union Party, says that the ISIS battle with Syrian Kurdish groups is benefiting the Syrian government.

Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki speaks during an interview with Reuters in Baghdad January 12, 2014. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki threatened on Sunday to cut central government funding for Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region if the Kurds pursued a drive to pipe oil exports to Turkey without Baghdad's approval. The Kurdistan Regional Government said last week that crude had begun to flow to Turkey and exports were expected to start at the end of this month and then rise in February and March. T

Iraqi judiciary accused of bias, failure

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is accused of using the judiciary to fight his political opponents.

People walk past the site of Tuesday's car bomb attack on al-Muthna bridge at Taji, north of Baghdad March 26, 2014. At least nine people were killed and 25 others wounded when a suicide bomber drove a truck packed with explosives to an army checkpoint late Tuesday, police said. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTR3IMQG

Iraq-Saudi ties need strategic context

While Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has accused Saudi Arabia of supporting terrorist groups, Baghdad should instead work on establishing effective channels of communication to cooperate in anti-terror efforts.

Al Qaeda fighters celebrate on vehicles taken from Iraqi security forces on a main street in Fallujah, 70 km (43 miles) west of Baghdad, March 20, 2014. Iraq's Shi'ite-led government has been battling al Qaeda faction, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), around the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah in western Anbar province. REUTERS/Stringer (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS CONFLICT) - RTR3HXS9

ISIS shifts tactics in Fallujah

Local fighters in Fallujah opting for reconciliation with the Iraqi government may have forced the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) to change strategy.

BAGHDAD, IRAQ: A V-sign for victory is flashed in front of a portrait of religious leader of Iraq's Shiite majority Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani during a march through the streets of Baghdad, 08 June 2004, heeding Sistani's latest call as they headed from the northern district of Al-Shaab toward the coalition's headquarters. The 2000 demonstrators denounced the interim constitution as an instrument of the United States, drafted behind closed doors with the aid of the US-picked and now dissolved Governing

Ayatollah Sistani for Nobel Peace Prize?

Iraqi Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who has been increasingly critical of the Iraqi government, is getting support for a bid for Nobel Peace Prize.