Newsletter: Daily Briefing Region welcomes US-Iran deal Gulf states, Turkey and Lebanon cautiously praise the framework while urging full implementation and protection of maritime trade routes. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Exclusive Barrack heads to Iraq as US presses Baghdad on Iran-backed militias US envoy Tom Barrack is due to meet with Iraq’s new prime minister and other top officials in Baghdad, where he will likely press US demands for Iran-backed Shiite militias be dismantled and disarmed. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Culture World Cup opens amid visa disputes for Iran, Iraq and Somalia Iran says a number of team staff were denied entry into the US, with Trump administration officials touting efforts to prevent affiliates of designated terrorist groups from entering. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump says Iran will 'pay the price’ for dragging out talks US President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Wednesday, saying that Tehran had waited too long to reach a deal after the largest direct exchange of fire between the two countries since an April ceasefire. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Turkey pushes Iraq, Syria trade routes as Hormuz crisis disrupts Gulf shipping By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Mosul women fight Islamic State legacy with sports, arts events Mosul women seek to erase their painful memories of IS by holding various activities for women. Iraq
Baghdad airport hit in latest Iraq rocket strike, no injuries The strike follows a drone attack on a coalition site at Erbil Air Base last week. Iraq
Anbar tribes key to security, political backing ahead of Iraq's October vote Following the introduction of a new electoral law and with many of the region’s population still looking more toward their tribes for protection than the central government, Iraq’s Sunni-dominant Anbar province is likely to be highly affected by tribal relations and figures in the October elections. Iraq
No plans for full US withdrawal from Iraq, top general says The United States may be leaving Afghanistan but troops will remain in Iraq for the foreseeable future, the CENTCOM commander told Congress. Iraq
Iran welcomes Iraqi mediation with Gulf states No clear results yet, said Tehran's ambassador in Baghdad after reports of Saudi-Iran dialogue. Iraq
Saudi Arabia, Iran held direct talks in bid to ease tensions Talks between the two countries were organized by Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Iraq
Kataib Hezbollah controls access points to key Iraqi border city Iran-linked armed groups have over the past year tightened and consolidated their grip on a key border area between Iraq and Syria, preventing journalists from entering and local residents from farming their land. Iraq
Car bomb kills four in Baghdad No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which police say also destroyed five cars and wounded 17 people. Iraq
Iraq to shutter displacement camps Iraq is working on closing all displacement camps this year and to return the displaced people to their homelands. Iraq
Iraq’s new political parties seek funds from citizens New parties have an uphill battle to compete in Iraq's political system. Iraq
More Lebanese doctors leave for Iraq As Lebanon is sinking deeper into an unprecedented financial and political crisis, many medical doctors are increasingly packing their bags and leaving for the Gulf or Europe, and more recently for Iraq. Iraq
Iraq's Kurdistan region sticks with AstraZeneca vaccine, reports no issues Kurdish authorities say they will continue administering the vaccine following the European Union's conclusion that blood clots should be listed among "rare side effects" of the British-Swedish vaccine. Iraq