Analysis Iraq’s Zaidi offers economic promise for Turkey but unknowns loom Iraq’s prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, is expected to sustain growing economic and strategic ties with Turkey thanks to his business-oriented approach, though uncertainty over his political stance could test cooperation on sensitive issues. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis US banking on Iraqi turnaround with nomination of Zaidi as new PM Trump signals hope for a "tremendous new chapter” in US-Iraq ties with the nomination of Ali Al-Zaidi as prime minister. By Week in Review
Analysis MENA wheat importers face food security risks as Hormuz crisis festers Home to many of the world's largest wheat importers, the Middle East and North Africa face acute food security risks as the US-Israel-Iran war disrupts global fertilizer flows and pushes up prices. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Trump congratulates Iraq PM-designate Zaidi in call: What to know The US President was openly critical of previous nominee Nouri al-Maliki, seen as too close to Iran, but is now welcoming the new candidate put forward by Iraq’s leading Shiite bloc. Iraq
Iranian killed in Iraq subject of 2009 controversy An Iranian killed in Iraq was incorrectly labelled a Lebanese Hezbollah commander by activists during the 2009 election protests, and some news reports of his death still contain the error. Iraq
Iraqi hospitals under IS suffer lack of medicine, staff The state of hospitals in Iraqi areas under IS control face shortage of medicine and staff, and are sometimes forced to treat the wounded from among the organization’s ranks. Iraq
Former House Intel chair: Turkey can't have it both ways in NATO Mike Rogers, former chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also sees economic pressure on Russia as presenting a “unique opportunity” for Moscow’s help in Syria. Iraq
Kobani hospitals overflow as battle continues Makeshift hospitals are being set up in basements and schools across Kobani to treat fighters and civilians while armed groups have targeted the city’s main hospitals. Iraq
Has the Islamic State's defeat already begun? In the war against the Islamic State, the key issue is how to translate recent optimism on the strategic picture into tactical achievements on the ground. Iraq
Kurdish peshmerga divisions hamper war effort The majority of Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces are divided between the two main rival political parties, hindering efforts in the fight against the Islamic State. Iraq
Shiite leaders forbid insults against Sunnis Najaf's Shiite authorities in Iran and Iraq issue fatwas against insults to Sunni figures and their sanctities. Iraq
Iran's new group in Iraq: Saraya al-Khorasani Saraya al-Khorasani appears to have more direct contact and cooperation with Iran than other groups and militias it has ties with. Iraq
Bahraini Shiite leader arrested The detention of Sheikh Ali Salman mirrors the marginalization of Sunnis in Iraq over the past decades and is likely to lead to further religious tension. Bahrain
Iraqi female nurses struggle for equality Women in the health industry are looked down upon by Iraq's conservative society, but the need for nurses and for women to be employed are slowly liberalizing attitudes. Iraq
Teenage suicide bomber hopes for second chance In an interview with Al-Monitor, Usaid Barho, a teenaged suicide bomber dispatched by the Islamic State, tells of his odyssey from an Aleppo mosque to the gates of a Shiite house of worship in Baghdad wearing an explosive vest. Iraq
Russia and the Kurds Russia balances its relationships with various Kurdish groups with its support for the states the Kurds live under. Iraq