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Iraq

October 8, 2026

Baghdad 10:29 pm

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A man walks past a closed foreign exchange office in Baghdad on October 7, 2026. Iraq's central bank devalued the dinar currency against the dollar on October 7, with the country facing a deepening crisis brought on by the Middle East war. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP via Getty Images)

Iraq devalues dinar 13% as Hormuz disruption hits oil revenue

The central bank said in a statement that it had revised the official exchange rate to 1,520 Iraqi dinars per dollar from around 1,320.

A member of the Iraqi security forces flashes the victory sign during a military parade

Explainer

What Iraq’s US troop withdrawal means for security after Kirkuk killings

As Iraq assumes full responsibility for its security following the coalition’s withdrawal, a disputed counterterrorism operation in Kirkuk is raising questions about accountability, public trust and lingering security gaps.

Members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) paramilitary forces stand guard during an election rally for the "Asaib Ahl al-Haq" movement in the capital Baghdad, on October 7, 2021.

Analysis

After US exit, Iran gains space in Iraq and a harder balancing act

For Iran, the easier part may have been getting Washington out, but it may now have to struggle turning the absence into durable influence and reviving its allied militias without provoking instability.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

US President Donald Trump meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) on the sidelines of the NATO Summit at Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, on July 8, 2026.

Trump’s integration policies build on Gulf, Turkey ties and Syria success

Iran’s influence, and the potential for renewed conflict, complicate progress in Iraq.

Latest News

Iraq announces Iran flights to resume: What to know

An Airbus A321 airliner arrives at the Mehrabad international airport during the delivery of the first batch of planes to the Iranian state airline Iran Air in the capital Tehran on Jan. 12, 2017.

Analysis

Can Turkey’s Bashiqa withdrawal pave the way for deeper Iraq ties?

Turkish soldiers conduct military exercises near the Habur crossing gate between Turkey and Iraq on Sept. 27, 2017 in the Silopi district, southeast Turkey.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

How militias in Anbar could complicate Iraq’s energy ambitions

Iraqi soldiers from the new 'desert battalion' special forces stand next to military vehicles as the take part in a graduation ceremony, after months of training by the French military, at the Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar west of Baghdad on February 29, 2024. (Photo by Ahmad AL-RUBAYE / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images)

Shelly Kittleson

By Shelly Kittleson

In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics

Amberin Zaman

Chief Correspondent

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Beatrice Farhat

Associate Editor (Lebanon)

In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict

Suadad al-Salhy

In Baghdad, reporting on politics and security

Lyse Mauvais

In Amman, reporting on humanitarian crises

Winthrop Rodgers

In Sulaymaniyah, reporting on Kurdish issues

A military vehicle of Iraqi security forces is seen at the site of a suicide bomb attack in Kirkuk, Iraq November 5, 2017. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed - RC16C3294970

Armed Kurdish groups want disputed territory back in Iraq

New Kurdish militias are forming from the remnants of defunct ones to renew the fight with the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization Units.

Born in the wrong place: Europe's Islamic State offspring

With the Islamic State defeated in Iraq and Syria, parents and relatives of European women and children who joined members of the terrorist organization there are calling on their governments to help facilitate the return of the children to their home countries.

Palestinian people play a game of backgammon at a cafe in the Baladiyat neighbourhood of Baghdad January 30, 2016. Picture taken January 30, 2016. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily - GF10000320011

Why is Iraq now stripping Palestinians of their rights?

The Iraqi government passed a law depriving Palestinians in the country of their basic rights, which raised questions about the timing that coincided with growing US and Israeli pressure to stop funding the UNRWA.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (bottom) delivers a speech to parliament before presenting the proposed annual budget in Tehran on December 7, 2014. Iran's parliament has adopted a law on December 4, to tax religious foundations and military-linked companies, a first for the Islamic republic that could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues, media reported. AFP PHOTO/ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Rouhani on defense after attack on hard-line 'fraudulent institutions'

Reformists sidelined in Iran's street protests; reactions in Iraq and Turkey; Iran rebuilds ties with Hamas via Hezbollah.

TOPSHOT - An Iranian woman raises her fist amid the smoke of tear gas at the University of Tehran during a protest driven by anger over economic problems, in the capital Tehran on December 30, 2017.
Students protested in a third day of demonstrations sparked by anger over Iran's economic problems, videos on social media showed, but were outnumbered by counter-demonstrators. / AFP PHOTO / STR (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Why Iran protests matter for Iraqis

The Iranian protests could have an impact elsewhere in the region, potentially weakening Iraqi Shiite parties loyalty to Tehran.

Shi'ite fighters chant slogans in al-Fatha, northeast of Baiji, October 18, 2015. Iraqi forces backed by Shi'ite militia fighters say they have retaken a mountain palace complex of former President Saddam Hussein from Islamic State fighters, as government forces push ahead on a major offensive against the insurgents. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - GF10000249696

Iraq cracks down on online gun sales

Social media has become a meeting point for Iraqi weapon sellers and their clients, and some dealers have even started offering military weapons on these platforms.

A vehicle of the Iraqi Federal police is seen on a street in Kirkuk, Iraq October 19, 2017. Picture taken October 19, 2017. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed - RC1F022EF4B0

Three months after Baghdad took control, tensions high in Kirkuk

The return of Iraqi federal rule in Kirkuk has brought about tensions between the Kurds and others amid joint attempts by the Kurds and the Baghdad government to calm the situation in the province.

School finally back in session for Iraqi Dom village

After its school was destroyed more than 13 years ago, education is returning to a small Dom village in southern Iraq.

Culture Alert: Art mingles with diplomacy, feminism and sport

The Middle East's cultural scene at the start of 2018 is almost as lively as its political landscape, as art flirts with feminism, diplomacy and sport.

Is Islamic State back in Kirkuk?

Using reactivated sleeper cells and new tactics in Kirkuk, the Islamic State shows it's back in action even as it is about to lose all its territory in Iraq and Syria.

A general view of the gas field in Basra , Iraq, August 26, 2017. Picture taken August 26, 2017. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani - RC14B7E5FDA0

Iraq has much to gain from gas-supply pact with Kuwait

A deal to export gas to Kuwait could help Iraq pay off war reparations, take advantage of otherwise wasted flare gas and make inroads with other Gulf countries.

Iraqi forces hunt down IS remnants in Hamrin Mountains

After the declaration of victory against the Islamic State, Iraqi security forces are still hunting small groups of IS fighters in the remote areas.