Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump says removing Iran’s uranium is more about optics Trump downplays Iran uranium removal after China talks, the UAE moves to bypass Hormuz and Iraq ends months of political deadlock. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Iraq parliament approves government of Prime Minister Zaidi Ali al-Zaidi, a prominent businessman with limited political experience, has backing from both the US and Iran. Iraq
Iraq’s Sadr says 'exclude' armed groups from next government as pressure builds The cleric's call comes as Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi tries to form a government amid political divisions and US demands to curb the influence of Iran-backed actors. Iraq
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Hormuz clashes cloud diplomacy as US awaits Iran response US strikes and renewed exchanges in Hormuz cast doubt on the ceasefire as the Trump administration awaits Tehran’s response to a new proposal. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Iraq’s Zaidi offers economic promise for Turkey but unknowns loom By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis MENA wheat importers face food security risks as Hormuz crisis festers By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Kurdish Parties Build Alliance To Curb Barzani’s Power in Syria On the eve of elections in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, the Kurdish question in Turkey, Iraq, and Syria becomes even more entangled. Iraq
Iraqi Religious Tourism Declines Because of Weak Iranian Economy As the sanctions on Iran have reduced the number of Iranian tourists visiting Iraq, Baghdad should remedy the situation by diversifying its tourism sector. Iraq
Iraqi Vice President Launches Consensus Initiative Iraq’s political quagmire, exacerbated by increasing sectarian violence, may yet be overcome with the help of the vice president’s consensus initiative. Iraq
Iraq to Raise Bank Capital To Address Housing Crisis Iraq plans to increase the capital in the country’s two government banks from $23 million to about $360 million to address the growing housing crisis. Iraq
Sectarianism Dominates Mideast Media Coverage of Syria, Bahrain A close look at Middle Eastern media reveals a sectarian bias for regional audiences and a more democratic face when broadcasting in English to the West. Iraq
Iraqi Secularists Struggle To Establish Political Presence With Iraq's national culture characterized by sectarian divisions, Iraqi secularists have had difficulty gaining traction in post-2003 politics. Iraq
Iraqi Music Tinged by Violent, Turbulent Times With musical trends typically reflecting the times of any particular society, Iraqi music today is increasingly characterized by themes of war and violence. Iraq
Saudi Arabia Vies For Influence in Iraq Riyadh has reached out to tribal sheikhs in southern Iraq in what some see as a continuation of the ongoing Saudi-Iranian competition for influence in the region. Saudi Arabia
Clerics Play Crucial Role In Iraq’s Sectarian Conflict As sectarian violence continues to plague Iraq, the government must focus on bringing together Sunni and Shiite preachers to reconcile their views and calm the tension among their followers. Iraq
Iraqi Youth Strike Balance Between Conservatism, Modernity Iraqi youths have eagerly embraced aspects of Western culture and style while remaining committed to the rituals and teachings of their religious traditions. Iraq
Iran Looks to Iraq for Syria Support Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s Qods Force, has been seeking assistance from Iraqi Shiite forces to provide support to the Syrian regime but without much apparent success. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan Minister Addresses Syria, Refugee Crisis An exclusive interview with Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir, head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq. Iraq
