How Syria's border opening with Iraq redefines Turkey-Kurd balance After years of closure, the reopening of al-Yaaroubiya crossing is redrawing Kurdish economic leverage and reinforcing Turkey’s regional strategy. Syria
IMF slashes Mideast outlook by nearly 3 points as Iran war hits economies The International Monetary Fund cut gross domestic product forecasts for the Middle East and North Africa, with the fallout from the conflict exposing stark divergences between the region’s energy exporters and importers. Iran
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia summon Iraqi diplomats over militia attacks: What to know The United States and Kuwait have likewise criticized Iraq over actions tied to Iran-backed armed groups in the country. Iraq
Exclusive 'King of Iraq': Top judge Zaidan played key role in Shelly Kittleson's release Officials say Faiq Zaidan leveraged his influence with Iran-backed militias to help secure the US journalist’s release, underscoring his outsized power in Iraq’s fractured political landscape. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis How fast can Gulf energy production rebound after US-Iran ceasefire? By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis Hostage to Hormuz, can Gulf rewire future energy flows to bypass Iran’s chokepoint? By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Coordination Framework establishes committee to select next Iraqi prime minister The Coordination Framework, which became the largest Shiite bloc in the parliament after the withdrawal of Sadrists, have set up a committee to nominate the prime minister as a part of forming the next government. Iraq
Massacre of nine Iraqi tourists blamed on Turkey sparks protests, diplomatic fallout Turkey's shelling of a tourist resort in Iraqi Kurdistan’s Dahuk region leaves Iraqis mourning and angry. Turkey
Iraq says Turkey killed Arab tourists in artillery attack on Kurdistan resort The attack, which Turkey denied in a statement, came a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran to win Tehran's backing for a further invasion into northeastern Syria. Turkey
Following tape leak, Sadr demands Maliki quit Iraqi politics The escalating conflict between Muqtada al-Sadr and Nouri al-Maliki has raised further barriers to the formation of a new government. Iraq
Mega projects do little to calm Iraq's housing crisis Despite several mega housing projects launched in Iraq, most notably the Al-Rafeel City project and Bismayah New City in Baghdad, Iraq still needs millions of houses to end the housing crisis. Iraq
Islamic State continues to menace Iraqi-Syrian border Security risks continue to fester in the mostly desert terrain between Iraq and Syria, where the Islamic State conducts brazen attacks even as its alleged leaders are reported killed. Iraq
Iraqi company to build solar-powered street lights The Iraqi government is making efforts to develop solar energy. The country suffers from widespread power cuts. Iraq
Iraqi prime minister sets objectives for regional summit Amid longstanding political deadlock and economic and environmental challenges, Iraqi prime minister Mustafa Kadhimi is attending the GCC +3 Summit in Saudi Arabia. Iraq
Iraq diversifies, expands sources of energy and electricty Iraq is looking to Arab partners to help expand energy production and imports to meet summer demand. Iraq
Oil services companies stop work in Iraqi Kurdistan after court ruling Iraq’s supreme court recently ruled that the autonomous part of northern Iraq cannot conduct oil deals independent of the federal government, resulting in significant tension. Iraq
Iraq’s northwest wary as IS executions, cross-border movement continue The Islamic State continues to target local tribes and others in desert areas of Iraq and across the border in Syria, as more Iraqi nationals with alleged IS links are moved to an IDP camp in northwestern Iraq. Iraq
Iran, Iraq exchange more soldiers' remains Although the Iran-Iraq War ended in 1988, the remains of fallen soldiers continue to be repatriated between the two countries. Iran