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
Iraqi Factions Debate Transferring Ministerial Powers to Provinces Iraqi politicians have divided along factional lines in a debate over whether certain ministries should be shifted from federal to provinicial authority, reports Omar al-Shaher. Iraq
Kurds Protest Iraqi Forces Sent To Disputed Region on Syrian Border Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki deploys forces to the Sinjar province, near the Syrian border, upsetting local Kurds and signaling an escalation of the Syrian conflict to Iraq, reports Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
Iraqi Provincial Election Campaigns Begin The electoral campaigns are starting for the April 2013 elections, with calls from senior clerics for clean campaigning by candidates, writes Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Iraq
Iraqi Kurds Seek Recognition Of Genocide by Saddam Nearly 25 years after the Iraqi Kurdish city of Halabja was attacked with chemical weapons, the Kurdistan Regional Government continues to seek international recognition of the Anfal as genocide, reports Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
Speaker Accuses Maliki of Meddling In Iraq's Independent Commissions Iraqi Speaker of the Council of Representatvies Osama Al-Nujaifi has criticized Prime MInister Nouri Al-Maliki for interfering in Iraq's independent commissions, provoking strong responses from Maliki's State of Law Coalition, reports Ali Abel Sadah. Iraq
Finance Minister's Resignation Escalates Iraqi Crisis Mustafa al-Kadhimi asks whether Iraq’s politicians have abandoned negotiations to exploit the ongoing protests for electoral gains. Iraq
Iraqi Politician Attacks Central Bank Corruption The Iraqi Sunni politician Ahmed al-Alwani claims that Iraqi private banks have been involved in schemes to bypass the sanctions imposed on Syria and Iran, reports Omar al-Shaher. Iraq
Maliki Seeks to Improve Ties With Egypt Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has held meetings with his Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood counterpart, Hesham Kandil, in a bid to rebuild ties, but challenges remain, writes Ali Abel Sadah. Egypt
Muqtada al-Sadr Attacks Iraq's Integrity Committee The Iraqi Commission of Integrity has become the latest target in Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr’s campaign against Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in a dispute that began in 2008, writes Ali Abel Sadah. Iraq
Iraq's Border Becomes New Fault Line in Syrian War An ambush on the Iraq-Syria border that killed 62 Syrian soldiers and nine Iraqi guards has brought the Syrian civil war to Iraq, writes Mushreq Abbas. Iraq
In Weak Economy, Iraqis Look for Government Jobs Amid a floundering job market, many Iraqis look to public-sector jobs as a means of stable, permanent employment, reports Omar al-Shaher. Iraq
Iraq Reconstruction Report Documents Waste, Corruption Stuart Bowen, the US official in charge of monitoring $60 billion spent by the US on Iraqi stabilization and reconstruction, says 15% was wasted, millions were stolen and the US government is still not properly organized to carry out such operations, writes Barbara Slavin. Iraq