Analysis After US exit, Iran gains space in Iraq and a harder balancing act For Iran, the easier part may have been getting Washington out, but it may now have to struggle turning the absence into durable influence and reviving its allied militias without provoking instability. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Trump’s integration policies build on Gulf, Turkey ties and Syria success Iran’s influence, and the potential for renewed conflict, complicate progress in Iraq. Iraq
Newsletter: Security What the US withdrawal means for Iraq The US withdrawal from Iraq shifts responsibility for the country’s security to Baghdad as Iran-backed militias remain outside the government’s full control. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Iraq announces Iran flights to resume: What to know Iraqis protested the latest move aimed at pressuring Iran and an Iran-backed militia vowed a response if the flights do not come back. Iraq
Analysis Can Turkey’s Bashiqa withdrawal pave the way for deeper Iraq ties? By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis How militias in Anbar could complicate Iraq’s energy ambitions By Shelly Kittleson In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Xi, Trump set to talk Iran By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Culture UNESCO makes progress in reconstruction of Mosul monuments Paris-based UNESCO Chief Audrey Azoulay will travel to Mosul in March, to officially launch the second phase of the reconstruction of Mosul monuments destroyed under the Islamic State takeover. Iraq
Culture Strains on ancient Mesopotamian marshes imperil ecology, way of life The marshes in southern Iraq have a unique ecosystem but face dangers due to climate change, dams built upstream and decades of war and mismanagement. Iraq
Iraqi court's ruling on KRG gas puts Turkey on the spot A top Iraqi court has ruled that the 2007 oil and gas law affecting the Kurdistan Regional Government is unconstitutional in a heavy blow to the KRG and its energy deals with Turkey. Turkey
Kataib Hezbollah movements in Iraq and abroad spark concern Hints of a greater presence of an IRGC-linked Iraqi armed faction with government-salaried brigades in a Sunni tribal-dominant province has sparked outcry, as the group continues to raise money for operations in other countries. Iraq
Iranian commander lobbies Iraq's Muqtada al-Sadr for 'inclusive' approach to Shiite parties Iranian Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani is seeking to maintain unity among the Shiite political ranks before the formation of the new government, including a role for parties affiliated with Iran. Iraq
Islamic State kills Iraqi forces in sparsely populated Anbar desert Attacks and unexploded ordnance continue to reap victims in Iraq’s vast western desert as security officials deny increased risks associated with a massive recent jailbreak across the border. Iraq
Turkish attacks stop displaced Iraqi Yazidis from returning home Turkey's regular targeting of Sinjar region is affecting the area badly and preventing displaced people from returning. Iraq
Baghdad announces crackdown on drug trafficking, gangs in Maysan Security file in Maysan governorate has become a priority for the Iraqi government following assassinations, armed tribal conflicts, organized crime and drug trafficking. Iraq
Iran’s water woes worsen despite warmer Taliban ties Iranian and Taliban officials have issued conflicting claims about how water from a dam in southwestern Afghanistan will be used, amid worsening shortages in Iran and protests. Iraq
Will Iran's electricity cut turn Iraq toward Gulf? Iraq is facing reduced electricity and gas supplies from Iran, which might lead Iraq toward an electricity connection with the Gulf. Iraq
Iraq keeps wary eye on prison security after Islamic State jailbreak in Syria The dire effects of massive jailbreaks a decade prior and the thousands of Islamic State convicts and suspects in Iraqi detention have induced greater attention to facilities in the country following an attack across the border. Iraq
Iraq tightens Syria border control after massive IS jailbreak Measures have been stepped up along the border with Syria in the now-defunct Islamic State leader’s native province to prevent hundreds of prison escapees from slipping across. Iraq