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
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
Kadhimi deepens cooperation with Saudi Arabia, UAE in Gulf tour Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi is pursuing two-track diplomacy, expanding cooperation with both Levant and Gulf countries. Iraq