Newsletter: Daily Briefing Hormuz clashes cloud diplomacy as US awaits Iran response US strikes and renewed exchanges in Hormuz cast doubt on the ceasefire as the Trump administration awaits Tehran’s response to a new proposal. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
US sets expectations for Iraq’s next PM to confront Iranian militias The Trump administration is cautiously sizing up Iraq’s new prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, as a potential partner in pushing back on Iranian influence. Iran
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 By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Ten years on, Iraqis still divided over Saddam’s legacy Ten years after the deposed Iraqi president's capture, Iraqi citizens are left with conflicting lessons from the Saddam Hussein era. Iraq
Iraq looks to expand trade with Iran While officials in both Baghdad and Tehran stress that they are eager to further expand trade relations between the two countries, some Iraqis fear that the government’s pro-Iran policies could be hurting local merchants. Iraq
Can Turkey’s Kurds, military ever reconcile? A court case in Diyarbakir provides hope for the first time for reconciliation between the Turkish military and Kurdish citizens. Iraq
Iraqi weapons market surges during Syria conflict The illegal weapons trade in Iraq has seen a spike in activity as armed sectarian militias grow more numerous and weapons are smuggled into Syria. Iraq
Iraq’s sectarian militias assume larger role Having instilled fear in local populations, Sunni and Shiite militias across Iraq maintain an iron fist over the daily affairs of Iraqi citizens. Iraq
Syrian and Iraqi Kurds more divided over Syria The Syria war is proving to be a divisive, rather than unifying, force among the Kurds of Iraq and Syria. Iraq
Return of once forbidden Ashoura chants signals Shiite revival After Saddam Hussein's fall in 2003, once forbidden Shiite hymns have become highly popular as part of a general religious revival in the Shiite community. Iraq
Syrian Kurds jockey for seat at Geneva talks As long as the Assad regime and the opposition fail to come to an agreement, Syria’s Kurds will continue to consolidate their gains. Iraq
Iraqi Turkmen town seeks to join Kurdistan Region Following years of perceived neglect by Baghdad, some in the Iraqi town of Tuz Khormato have called for joining the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Iraq
Rise of Islamic Front a disaster for Syria The ascendance of the Islamic Front threatens a political transition in Syria; Lebanon paralyzed by Syria conflict; Farea al-Muslimi named FP Leading Global Thinker. Saudi Arabia
Syria war brings al-Qaeda threat to Iraqi Kurdistan The Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq seeks to prevent the spillover of the war inside its borders. Iraq
Basra officials hope new contracts will spur reconstruction Following years of rampant corruption in reconstruction projects, officials in the Iraqi city of Basra are optimistic that recent contracts concluded with Hill International will spark a construction boom in the city. Iraq