Turkey to repatriate its ISIS fighters from Iraq as jihadis escalate Syria attacks Ankara will repatriate its nationals from among thousands of fighters transferred from Syria, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said. Turkey
Here is what to know about Kuwait-Iraq maritime dispute Arab Gulf countries expressed support for Kuwait’s sovereignty after Iraq sent a revised map of its maritime borders that reignited a decades-old dispute over sea boundaries between the two neighbors. Kuwait
US envoy Barrack oversees Chevron deal in Iraq amid Iran influence row The Trump administration is maintaining pressure on Iraq over the nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the influence of Iran-backed militias in the country. Iraq
US court overturns Trump global tariffs: What it means for MENA Trump's defining economic policy of his second term has been dealt a key blow, upending a tariff regime that set levies in the Middle East as high as 41% for Syria even as most regional countries were insulated from the fallout. Syria
Analysis Despite warnings from Israel's defense elite, Netanyahu pushes for Iran strike By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis Can Maliki overcome Trump opposition to reclaim Iraq’s PM post? By Adam Lucente In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change
Exclusive 100 non-Syrian Kurds return to PKK’s Qandil stronghold under SDF-Damascus deal By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Head of PMU faction talks Iraqi politics, US relations The head of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Qais al-Khazali, spoke to Al-Monitor about the Iraqi organization's history with the United States and current political positions. Iraq
Intel: Congress wants to sanction Iran’s allies in Iraq. Here’s why the State Department thinks it’s a bad idea. Iraq
Kurdish opposition warns fraud, intimidation to taint upcoming election As the Iraq Kurdistan Region prepares to hold its parliamentary elections Sept. 30, the opposition is deeply concerned about voter fraud by the two ruling parties. Iraq
Will US sanctions succeed in isolating Iraqi Shiite factions? As the United States intensifies its activities against Iran in the region, it has also increased pressure on Iraqi factions backed by Iran. Yet the influence that these factions have in Iraq limits the effects of such pressures. Iraq
Iraqi women push for cafes of their own Iraqi women have started opening women-only cafes and restaurants where they can just avoid harassment. Iraq
Powerful Shiite trio agrees on Iraqi prime minister candidate A Beirut meetup of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah and Iran's Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani appears to have produced a compromise candidate for Iraq's next prime minister. Iraq
Dozens of Basra activists arrested Shiite militias in Basra arrested dozens of civil rights activists for participating in demonstrations and accused the US Consulate of instigating the demonstrations. Iraq
Congress takes aim at pro-Iran election winners in Iraq US lawmakers are preparing sanctions as Tehran presses Baghdad to form a government friendly to its interests. Iraq
Turkey extends flight ban to Sulaimaniyah Turkey seems to be expressing its opposition to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's candidate for the Iraqi presidency by extending its ban on flights to Sulaimaniyah, but the move may represent the extent of Ankara's influence over political machinations in Baghdad. Iraq
Iran's influence continues to shape new Iraqi government After Iran succeeded in pushing through its preferred candidate for Iraq's parliament speaker, Tehran continued its pressure to secure the position of second deputy speaker, bringing the "score" to 2-0 against the US. Iraq
Kurds need to narrow down choices for Iraqi president The two largest Kurdish political parties in Iraq are likely to agree eventually on a presidential candidate, but in the meantime several hats are in the ring. Iraq
Iranians lash out at preferential treatment of pilgrims While many Iranians have criticized the authorities’ decision to allow visa fees for the Arbaeen pilgrimage to be paid at the secondary foreign currency market rate, the move could, in reality, be filling the administration’s coffers. Iraq
