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Iraq

October 11, 2026

Baghdad 9:58 pm

28°C

Demonstrators ride through a street while waving Syrian flags

Analysis

Why Syria and Iraq are taking different approaches to armed groups

Shelly Kittleson

By Shelly Kittleson

In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics

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

Latest News

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

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.

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

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 Shi'ite fighters salute to the shrine of Sayeda Zeinab, the granddaughter of Prophet Mohammad, at Sayeda Zainab area in Damascus May 25, 2013. Picture taken May 25, 2013. REUTERS/ Alaa Al-Marjani (SYRIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS MILITARY CONFLICT) ) - RTX104SW

Will Iraq's Shiite militias flow to Syria after post-IS?

Expelling IS from Iraq will lead Iraqi Shiite militants to volunteer to fight in Syria, as the Syrian conflict continues to attract Sunni and Shiite fighters from around the world.

Iraqi Sunni Muslim fighters from Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) take part in a parade during a ceremony marking the Iraqi Police Day at Amiriyat al-Fallujah in Anbar province, January 9, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RTX21NI3

What are Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units doing in Beirut?

A leader of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) talks to Al-Monitor about talks held in Beirut Aug. 8-11, behind the scenes and away from the media spotlights, between a Western diplomatic delegation and 12 people representing the leadership of the PMU.

Sunni Muslims attend prayers at a mosque, during Eid al-Fitr as they mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, in Baghdad, Iraq July 6, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad - RTX2JW80

Sunnis eye their piece of Iraq pie

Representatives of various Sunni groups are trying to lay the groundwork for an independent Sunni region, but efforts may be complicated by the presence of powerful Shiite forces on the ground.

Charity sets up free shops on Baghdad walls

A group of Iraqi activists has created a project to help the poor in Iraq, and the idea, though unconventional for the region, is catching on.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (R) meets Admiral Ali Shamkhani, Iran?s Supreme National Security Council Director, in Damascus September 30, 2014,in this picture released by Syria's national news agency SANA. REUTERS/SANA/Handout via Reuters (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS.

Iran official: Moscow and Tehran are in 'strategic cooperation'

The secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council said that Russia’s use of Iran’s air base is a sign of further cooperation rather than an exceptional situation.

Iraqi military personnel distribute water to Shiite Iraqi Kurds, known as "Shabak", displaced by fierce fighting between Kurdish peshmerga forces and jihadist militants from the Islamic State (IS) after arriving on the road between Kirkuk and Arbil having fled the area of Bartala near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, on August 8, 2014. Jihadists seized Iraq's largest dam north of their hub of Mosul, giving them control over the supply of water and electricity for a vast area, officials said. AFP PHOTO / MA

Division among Iraq's Shabak minority reveals Kurdish-Arab land rivalry

Minorities in Iraq's Ninevah plains are stuck between the federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government based in Erbil, which are competing for their lands.

A member of a counter-radiation team uses a Geiger counter to search for missing radioactive material in Basra, Iraq, February 21, 2016. Radioactive material that went missing in Iraq has been found dumped near a petrol station in the southern town of Zubair, officials said on Sunday, ending speculation it could be acquired by Islamic State and used as a weapon. The officials told Reuters the material, stored in a protective case the size of a laptop computer, was undamaged and there were no concerns about

Iraq's environment faces crucial challenge

Environmental deterioration in Iraq has reached a critical point due to a lack of awareness among citizens, the destructive impact of consecutive wars and the absence of effective rehabilitation plans.

Displaced people from the minority Yazidi sect, fleeing violence from forces loyal to the Islamic State in Sinjar town, walk towards the Syrian border, on the outskirts of Sinjar mountain, near the Syrian border town of Elierbeh of Al-Hasakah Governorate August 10, 2014. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo - RTX2GIYQ

Will Iraq's minorities return to their homelands post-IS?

As Iraqi forces are advancing against the Islamic State, Iraqi minorities express their worries about the future of their lands post-IS.

An Islamic State flag is seen in this picture illustration taken February 18, 2016. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo - RTSLIWH

How Islamic State is trying to lure Kurds to its ranks

The Islamic State released a video Aug. 3 in which militants refer to prominent Kurdish leaders in a bid to attract the Kurds to their ranks.

Iraqi children orphans draw at The Iraqi Safe House for Creativity in Baghdad, November 20, 2015. Picture taken November 20 2015. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad - RTX1WUND

Amid war on IS, Iraq’s widows and orphans face neglect

A recent survey shows that the number of widows and orphans is on the rise in Iraq, while the government fails to provide support for them.

Iraqi Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi speaks to the media at an Iraqi army base in Camp Taji in Baghdad, February 21, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad - RTX27Y23

Iraq's political leaders on quicksand as alliances fracture

While Iraq's defense minister and parliament speaker trade accusations of corruption, the major political blocs that support them are threatening to split and reorganize themselves along nonsectarian lines.

Containers with weapons, which are part of a German Bundeswehr armed forces military aid shipment for Kurdish forces in Northern Iraq, are prepared for loading into a Dutch air force KDC-10 plane at Leipzig airport, September 24, 2014. German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her government's taboo-breaking decision to send arms to Kurds fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq, telling parliament on Monday that the group posed a major security threat to Germany and Europe. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch (GERMAN

Iraqi parliament in the dark about $2.7 billion loan deal

Iraq's parliament was not involved in the negotiations for a $2.7 billion US loan package and still hasn't been fully briefed on the deal, leaving many Iraqi lawmakers uneasy.