Iraq’s Sadr says 'exclude' armed groups from next government as pressure builds The cleric's call comes as Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi tries to form a government amid political divisions and US demands to curb the influence of Iran-backed actors. Iraq
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 MENA wheat importers face food security risks as Hormuz crisis festers By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
PUK Falls to Third Place In Iraqi Kurdistan Elections The preliminary electoral results in Iraqi Kurdistan show the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to be the biggest winner, with the new Movement for Change coming in second. Iraq
Iraq's Failed 'Democracy' Disheartens Activists Amid violence and rampant corruption, many Iraqi youth are frustrated with the slow pace of democratic change in the country. Iraq
Young Iraqis Vent Frustrations On Facebook In light of Iraq’s tightly controlled media and an increasingly dangerous security situation, many of the country’s youth have turned to Facebook to organize protests and voice dissent. Iraq
English Learning Lags in Iraq English is the most daunting and frequently failed subject in Iraq’s end-of-school exams, indicating a need to update teaching methodologies and focus on it earlier. Iraq
Daily Suicide Bombings Keep Iraqis in State of Shock As daily bombings and killings in Iraq have risked becoming regarded as mundane and normal, attention has shifted to the Iraqi government’s apparent lack of recognition of the human cost its country’s unstable security situation entails. Iraq
Iraq's Sunni-Shiite Killings: When It’s Based on a Name In a time when something as simple as your name or accent can condemn you to death, many Iraqis, particularly the youth, are distancing themselves from divisive sectarian identities. Iraq
Tracing Syrian Conflict Back to Iraq’s Civil War The relationship between Iraq and Syria has always been close, yet contradictory, with some arguing that the economic and political results of the Iraqi civil war led to the outbreak of Syria’s current conflict. Iraq
New School Year Challenges Iraqi Families While some posit that there have been improvements in Iraq’s educational system since 2003, the country still grapples to accommodate its student population just as families struggle to cover basic school expenses. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan Must Ensure Minority Rights While the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has long been touted as a stable refuge in an otherwise turbulent region, there have been increasing complaints from the region’s non-Kurdish minorities of discrimination and harassment. Iraq
Iraqi Civil Society Struggles To Stay Relevant, Effective With millions of dollars of foreign aid pouring into Iraq toward civil organizations since 2003, it is time to examine how effectively this money is being used. Iraq
Kurdish Parties Build Alliance To Curb Barzani’s Power in Syria On the eve of elections in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, the Kurdish question in Turkey, Iraq, and Syria becomes even more entangled. Iraq
Iraqi Religious Tourism Declines Because of Weak Iranian Economy As the sanctions on Iran have reduced the number of Iranian tourists visiting Iraq, Baghdad should remedy the situation by diversifying its tourism sector. Iraq