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
Iraq’s Faw Port Project Faces Continued Setbacks Iraq’s Grand Faw Port, planned to be one of the largest maritime ports in the gulf region, has been stalled due to political disputes. Iraq
Iraqi Women Victimized By Tribal Marriage Customs In patriarchal and tribal Iraq, thousands of women are forced into unwanted marriages with little to no legal recourse. Iraq
New Iraqi Protest Movement Targets Corrruption Overall dissatisfaction with the Iraqi government promises to overcome sectarian, ethnic and political rifts and pave the way for the emergence of a potentially effective protest movement. Iraq
KDP May Run Alone In Iraqi Kurdistan Elections The two major parties in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have shared power since 2005, but some believe that President Massoud Barzani and his party are planning to go it alone following upcoming parliamentary elections. Iraq
Iraqi Sheikh Faces Divisions Within Sunni Community Sheikh Abdul-Malik al-Saadi seeks to balance support for protests with opposition to a Sunni federal region in Iraq. Iraq
Middle East Alliances More Tangled Than Ever The alliances of regional countries are based on seemingly contradictory interests. Iraq
Traumatic Memories Mar Baghdad Neighborhoods Violence and terrorism have left many Iraqis with post-traumatic stress associated with specific areas of Baghdad they continue to associate with a violent event. Iraq
Ayatollah Sistani and The Battle of Najaf A book by an aide to Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani reveals new details about the 2004 Battle of Najaf. Iraq
Iraq’s Identity Crisis in Symbols In an increasingly divided Iraq, disputes have broken out regarding the use of photography and symbolism that reinforces sectarian, rather than national, affiliations. Iraq
Erdogan Criticizes Opposition Leader For Visits to Iraq, Egypt Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan feverishly criticizes main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu for his travels to Baghdad and Cairo. Egypt
Iraq Needs Unity to Deal with Syria Crisis As foreign military intervention in Syria grows more imminent, the Iraqi authorities would do well to set aside their internal differences and take the necessary precautions should its neighbor’s conflict spill over onto its territory. Iraq
Syrian Kurdish Party Struggles With Dissent, Exodus In Amuda, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) has imposed a resolution banning Syrian Kurdish emigration after last month's mass exodus in pursuit of autonomy. Iraq
