Analysis On first foreign trip, Iraqi PM Zaidi woos Trump but Iran casts long shadow Iraq's new prime minister is in Washington promising business deals and closer ties with the United States, but convincing the Trump administration he can rein in Iran-backed militias may prove his toughest challenge. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
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. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Qatar says no direct Iran-US talks in Doha Saudi FM visits Beijing; Iraq’s premier expands anti-corruption crackdown; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
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. Iraq
Analysis Iraqi PM’s anti-corruption drive comes as US pressure mounts on Iran-backed militias By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Region welcomes US-Iran deal By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Proposed personal status law will not help Iraqi Jaafaris A proposed law to protect the personal status of Shiite Jaafaris is redundant and may in fact cause them harm. Iraq
Turkey, Iraq Work to Renew Ties Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari’s visit to Ankara last week suggests Turkey is trying to adjust its approach to its neighbors. Iraq
Al-Qaeda Sets Sights On Iraq’s Anbar Province As al-Qaeda-affiliated groups expand their activities throughout Iraq, some believe they are eyeing Anbar province, where a “huge battle” could unfold in the near future. Iraq
Chinese Clothing Imports on the Rise In Iraq As with other local markets around the world, availability of cheap Chinese-made clothing in Iraq has largely run the country’s secondhand-clothing merchants out of business. Iraq
Will US, Iran Back Maliki In Iraqi Elections? While the US and Iran both support Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, sectarian violence is nonetheless on the rise. Iraq
Iraq’s Film Industry Hits Bottom Once a popular pastime among Iraqis, cinema attendance has all but disappeared since 2003, to the detriment of youth aspiring to study cinema at Iraqi universities. Iraq
Al-Qaeda Sinks Roots in Mosul Al-Qaeda continues to gain strength in Iraq, taxing the residents of Mosul, attacking minorities and "collaborators" and making the city a base of operations in Ninevah province. Iraq
Iraq's Civil Society Under Siege Increasing reports of hostility against Iraq’s burgeoning civil society organizations have shed light on the way politics motivates violence and divisions in the country today. Iraq
Iraq's Rare Animals Threatened by Violence A general lack of awareness has led to increasing cases of local Iraqi populations randomly killing rare animals they encounter. Iraq
Iraqi Shiites join Syria war Many Iraqi Shiites are joining the fight in Syria, by first receiving weapons training in Iran and then traveling to Lebanon, from where they are taken to Damascus by Hezbollah. Iraq
Iraqi Government Cannot Stop Terrorists Amid mounting questions on the efficiency of Iraq’s security apparatus, the Interior Ministry proves unable to provide even rough statistics on the daily bombings that afflict the country. Iraq
Syria Crisis Sidelines Iraq While the world focuses on Syria, Iraq endures daily carnage and a security situation that is spiraling out of control. Iraq