Baghdad

Sharaa in Washington: A Turning Point for Syria

The question for Damascus is what comes next, with Sharaa showing that he is ready for the global prime time.   Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited the White House on Monday for a historic...

Iraq’s Election Plays Out in the Shadow of Influence From Washington and Tehran

Iraq’s parliamentary elections are scheduled for November 11, but voters aren’t holding their breath for change. Allegations of pervasive vote buying and reliance on patronage systems already taint...

PKK announcement of withdrawal from Turkey has ramifications for Iraq, Syria

On October 26, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said it was withdrawing its fighters from Turkey. The withdrawal is part of a peace process that has seen the group say it will disarm...

New LNG Terminal Will Help Extricate Iraq From Iran’s Energy Orbit

Iraq is slowly taking steps to wrench its energy sector free from Iran’s influence, but it will require both American support and strong encouragement to do so. Excelerate Energy, an American company,...

Iranian-backed Iraqi militias in spotlight after Secretary of State Rubio’s call with Prime Minister Sudani

Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al Sudani “urged the United States to avoid unilateral decisions in Iraq, insisting that all actions impacting bilateral ties must go through formal diplomatic channels,”...

Assassination Casts Dark Cloud over Iraqi Elections

Iraq continues to suffer from lawlessness, where the politics of the gun – and not the ballot box – play too great a role   In the early hours of October 15, an IED tore through a Chevy Tahoe...

Don’t Fall for the Islamic Republic’s Attempt at “Christian-Washing”

On a recent trip to Israel, Mark Walker, President Trump’s nominee to be Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, did not mince words about the administration’s priorities. “We want...

Iraqi parliamentary candidate killed in car bombing

Safaa al Mashhadani, a Sunni Iraqi parliamentary candidate who served on the Baghdad Provincial Council, was killed by a car bomb, The National reported on October 15. Mashhadani, a candidate...

Freedom for Iran: Learning From U.S. Support for Polish Anti-Communists in the 1980s

U.S. Designates 4 ‘Iran-Aligned’ Militias in Iraq as Foreign Terrorist Organizations

New Terrorist Designations: The State Department designated four Iraq-based, “Iran-aligned” armed militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) on September 17. The groups...

Israel strikes IRGC in Lebanon, reports Qods Force arrests in Syria

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) eliminated Wissam Saeed Jubai on September 11 in Ain Baal, a village in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon. The IDF’s Persian-language account described Jubai...

Baghdad Has an Opportunity To Counter Illicit Iranian Activity in Iraq. Will the Government Take It?

Past Iraqi investigative committees have been largely toothless when it comes to targeting Iran-backed criminals, and history may now repeat itself. On September 6, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia...

Princeton researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov freed in Iraq

Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton researcher who holds Israeli and Russian citizenship, was freed in Iraq after being held for more than 900 days by an Iranian-backed militia. “I am pleased to...

US forces begin withdrawal from Ain al Asad airbase as US presence in Iraq transitions

Arab media reported on August 18 that a US military convoy departed Ain al Asad airbase, a military facility hosting US forces in western Iraq, on its way to Syria. An Iraqi security source speaking...

Lebanese President Aoun Holds Firm on Hezbollah Disarmament During Beirut Talks With Top Iranian Security

Lebanese President Rejects Iranian Intervention: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that his country rejects foreign interference in its internal affairs during talks in Beirut...

Iraq PM Sudani condemns Kataib Hezbollah for shooting at Ministry of Agriculture

Following an investigation into a deadly clash at the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture, the spokesman for Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al Sudani issued a statement detailing ramifications for the...

Tehran Seeks to Consolidate Its Influence in Iraq

Iran still seeks to project power in the Middle East — not only by arming proxies and smuggling oil but also by shaping regional parliaments and policies. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s new Supreme...

Can Iraq Stop the Iranian-Backed Drone Attacks?

Recent drone attacks in Kurdistan are once again bringing the issue of Iraq’s Iran-backed militias to the fore.

US expresses concern over Iraqi legislation enshrining militias as independent security force

Iraq has revived legislation regarding the Popular Mobilization Authority (PMA), the government agency that oversees the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The PMF, while legally an Iraqi government...

New head of anti-Islamic State mission in Iraq and Syria takes command

Brigadier General Kevin Lambert took over as the new commander of the anti-Islamic State coalition of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) in a ceremony in Iraq on...