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
Shiite Seminaries in Najaf, Qom Struggle With Dual Roles Shiite seminaries in Najaf and Qom struggle to balance between preserving Shiite identity, while at the same time maintaining their distance from any sectarian conflict and supporting Islamic unity. Iraq
Barzani's Goodwill Baghdad Tour Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, met with Baghdad's key political leaders in an attempt to generate consensus and compromise. Iraq
Iraqi Law to Reform Political Financing Blocked in Parliament The Iraqi Council of Representatives is blocking a law that would create financial transparency for financing political parties. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdish Parties Dispute Law Extending Barzani Presidency Due to its general disregard for the internal bylaws of the Iraqi Kurdistan region’s parliament, members of President Massoud Barzani’s party and the opposition both have objected to a law extending his term. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan's Islamist Parties Condemn Egyptian Coup The Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s Islamist parties consider the coup that ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi a setback for democracy. Egypt
Baghdad Delays New Iraqi Customs Law As disagreements persist with Erbil, Baghdad has requested that an unimplemented customs tariff law be postponed in what some see as a bid to buy time for tensions to cool. Iraq
Turkish-Kurdish Peace Process Poorly Managed Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan needs to address the trauma resulting from the fight against PKK terror for over three decades. Iraq
Iraqi Parliament Puts Controversial Media Law on Hold Due to controversial wording in its draft and a general outcry from the country’s media community, Iraq has not passed its Communications and Media Commission law. Iraq
Iran, Iraq React Differently to Morsi's Fall A comparison of the Iraqi and Iranian reactions to the situation in Egypt shows a profound difference in their perspectives on democracy. Egypt
What are Egypt's Lessons for Iraq? Having less to do with regional sectarian Sunni-Shiite disputes, Iraq’s political players should focus on the failure of political Islam in their analyses of the June 30 events in Egypt. Egypt
Iraqi Provincial Law Renews Debate Over Centralization Whether Iraq’s various regions and provinces should be governed in a more centralized or decentralized manner continues as the focal point of political conflict in the country. Iraq
Failed Banking System Prompts Iraqis to Hoard Gold As Iraq continues to suffer from an array of security problems, citizens have lost faith in the banking sector and are converting their money to gold to store at home. Iraq
