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Iraq

October 9, 2026

Baghdad 1:27 am

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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

Iraqi students sit in class at their elementary school in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on April 6, 2008. Fierce clashes between Shiite gunmen and US forces in the Iraqi capital's Sadr City district killed at least 20 people today, amid calls from Iraqi leaders for all militias to be disbanded. Shiite fighters, mostly from Sadr's Mahdi Army militia, have been clashing with security forces since March 25 after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered a crackdown on militiamen in the southern city of Basra. A

Christian school in Basra welcomes Muslim students

For the first time since the 1970s, an interfaith Christian school is set to open in the conservative Iraqi city of Basra.

What next for PMU in Iraq's Anbar province?

The flags of a powerful Shiite fighting force still fly from the main bridge into the Iraqi border town of Qaim weeks after it was retaken from the Islamic State.

Shi'ite Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) celebrate on the outskirts of Kirkuk, Iraq October 17, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC14D2FF7B50

Proposed US sanctions on PMU put Iraq in tough spot

Proposed sanctions against factions of the Shiite-dominated Popular Mobilization Units would place the Iraqi government squarely in the middle of a tug of war between Iran and the United States.

A falcon perches on a Bedouin hunter's arm during a hunt in a desert south of Samawa, 270 km (160 miles) south of Baghdad November 30, 2007. Picture taken November 30, 2007. REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen (IRAQ) - GM1DWSRKRDAA

Iraq steps up efforts to stop smuggling of rare species

Smuggling rare animal species out of Iraq has become common due to lax enforcement of laws and the country's security situation, but the federal government is making renewed efforts to halt the smuggling.

A U.S. fighter stands near a military vehicle, north of Raqqa city, Syria November 6, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said - S1AEULHHBDAA

Pentagon reports troop surge in Middle East

Newly released Pentagon figures show a surge in US troops deployed across the Middle East this summer.

Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters pose for a photo next to a military vehicle bearing the Kurdish flag after they reportedly captured several villages from Islamic State (IS) group jihadistst in the district of Daquq, south of the northern city of Kirkuk on September 11, 2015. An Iraqi officer said that the operation was launched in the morning with support from international coalition aircraft, and has succeeded in retaking ten villages from IS. AFP PHOTO / MARWAN IBRAHIM (Photo credit should read MA

Kirkuk residents demand truth about fate of their missing

The families of people who have gone missing from Kirkuk and other disputed areas in Iraq over the past decade hope that the federal government retaking these areas will lead to more information on their fate.

Iraqi forces show victory signs after they captured Rawa town, the last remaining town under Islamic State control, Iraq November 17, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer - RC16EFE59700

Last IS-held Iraqi town retaken amid car bombs, IEDs

Iraqi security forces seized Rawa, the last Islamic State-held town located in Anbar province, after a circuitous and dangerous journey to their destination.

Fear of extinction pushes Basra’s Christians to isolation

In light of the threats of extremists over recent years, Christians in Basra lack confidence in the local authorities for securing their safety.

Baghdad increases pressure on KRG with budget cut

By cutting the Kurdistan region’s share of the national budget for 2018, the Iraqi central government continues to implement punitive measures in response to the Kurdish independence referendum.

Iraqi authorities clamp down on sectarian hate speech

During the Shiite Arbaeen pilgrimage this month, the Iraqi government took legal measures to stop extreme groups from insulting Sunni religious figures.

Jordan photo exhibition displays hope for victims of war, violence

A recent photo exhibition showed victims of war and violence during their treatment at the Medecins Sans Frontieres hospital in Amman and post-reconstructive surgery.

Border crossings deepen Baghdad-Erbil conflict

Baghdad insists on taking control of the Kurdistan Region's border crossings with Turkey and Iran, while authorities in Erbil refuse to hand them over to Baghdad.