Baghdad

From Saddam Hussein to Israel: How Iran's wars have divided a nation - analysis

After Iran engaged twice in the space of one year against Israel and the United States, the question of how Iranians respond to an external enemy has returned to the fore.

 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (L) who became Iran's first Supreme Leader after the Islamic Revolution and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who offered the Shah of Iran to dispose of the cleric
Iraqi security forces stand guard during a rally celebrating the withdrawal of forces of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State from Iraq in Baghdad on September 30, 2026.

US-led coalition exit shifts more counter-ISIS burden to Iraq and Syria - analysis

A stage with a banner for Sovereignty Day in Baghdad Wednesday, 30th September 2026

Iran-backed militias in Iraq determined to retain arms after US withdrawal - interview

A member of the Iraqi security forces, flashes the victory sign during a military parade marking the withdrawal of the US-led coalition from Iraq, in Baghdad on September 30, 2026.

Joy mixed with fear as US forces leave Iraq amid potential security vacuum


US agrees to continue physical dollar cash shipments, Iraqi government says

Iraq keeps more than $100 billion in reserves in the United States, giving Washington substantial influence over Baghdad’s access to physical dollars.

 An American $100 dollar bill.

Flights must be open to all or to no one, Iranian adviser says following Iraqi airport suspension

"Alignment with America in implementing hostile policies will remain etched in the memory of the Iranian nation," he added. "Flight in the region is either free for all, or for no one," he stated.

A ground controller directs an airliner on the apron on August 29, 2015 at the international airport of the city of Najaf as Iraqis are heading to Saudi Arabia to perform the annual Muslim Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca.

Iraq suspends Iranian flights to Baghdad after US threatens sanctions on airport service providers

The suspension of flights will begin at midnight on Wednesday.

The plane carrying the Iran's National football team flies over Los Angeles International Airport before landing on June 14, 2026, on the eve of the 2026 World Cup football match between Iran and New Zealand.

Iran-linked drone attacks target Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq

A Kurdish Iranian opposition group said Iran targeted its headquarters in northern Iraq, the latest in a series of attacks on anti-Tehran factions.

Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party, known as PAK take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq February 12, 2026.

Iraqi military commander dismissed following drone attack on Saudi Arabia originating from Iraq

Later on Saturday, Iraq ordered the closure of the Shalamcheh border crossing between Iraq and Iran as a precautionary measure after the drone attacks, two security sources told Reuters.

Iraqi Prime Minister and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi chairs the Ministerial Council for National Security for an emergency meeting, to discuss the latest security developments and the attack carried out by the US and Saudi air forces, Baghdad, Iraq, July 29, 2026.

Voices from the Arab Press: China’s Iran dilemma, Israel elections, Hezbollah US talks

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses of the Arab media around the world.

THEN-IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (L), Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang, and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud meet in Beijing, April 2023.

The Kurds rose as Syria and Iraq collapsed - now, their fortunes are reversing

BEHIND THE LINES: If and when the current strategy fails, the Kurds may need to be reached again. Hopefully, by the time this occurs, they will be able to take advantage of the moment in full.

KURDISH FIGHTERS from the Qamishli Brigade on parade last month.

US diplomatic reshuffle in Iraq comes at critical moment for Baghdad and Washington - analysis

US Chargé d’Affaires Joshua Harris is ending his posting in Baghdad as Washington prepares for a diplomatic transition amid the planned US troop withdrawal from Iraq and ongoing tensions.

 An illustrative image of the Syrian and Iraqi flags.

Iraq approves three month mechanism to export crude via local, international firms

Iraq is seeking to diversify its oil export channels and maintain flexibility in marketing its crude amid the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A worker checks an oil pipeline at Nahr Bin Umar oil field, north of Basra, Iraq March 22, 2022.

Tehran’s control over Baghdad may create conditions for more extreme protests, expert tells ‘Post’

Iraq’s failure to pay July salaries could trigger wider, potentially violent protests as oil export disruptions and US financial controls strain Baghdad, an expert said.

Oil trucks arrive from Iraq, on their way to the Baniyas oil terminal, in Qamishli, Syria, May 11, 2026..