Iraq War

March 30, 2026 | Seth J. Frantzman |

Home of Kurdistan Region president targeted, American universities threatened as attacks escalate in Iraq

The home of Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, was targeted in a drone attack on March 28. The following day, Reuters, citing security sources, reported, “Air defenses shot...

March 22, 2026 | Caleb Weiss |

Shabaab celebrates October attack on Mogadishu prison in new video

In a new video posted online as a so-called Eid celebration, Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch for East Africa, highlighted and celebrated last year’s assault on the Godka Jilacow prison in Mogadishu, which...

March 20, 2026 | Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, David May

Defying Trump, Swiping at Israel: Pedro Sanchez’s Brilliant, Empty Foreign Policy

Spain formally withdrew its ambassador from Israel on March 11. The announcement, published in the Boletin Oficial del Estado, terminated the appointment of Ana Maria Salomon Perez, downgrading Madrid’s...

March 13, 2026 | Mariam Wahba, Natalie Ecanow

International Union of Muslim Scholars criticizes Iranian strikes on Arab states but says Israel is main threat to region

A senior leader in the Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has condemned Iran’s recent strikes on several Middle Eastern countries while simultaneously urging Muslims to unite against...

March 3, 2026 | Bridget Toomey |

U.S. Must Pressure Baghdad To Rein in Iran-Backed Militias

After largely sitting out the 12-Day War between Israel and Iran in June last year, Tehran’s proxies in Iraq quickly jumped into the fighting after the United States and Israel began operations against...

December 22, 2025 | Ryan Brobst, RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery

Scouting America Is Vital to the Pentagon’s Warfighting Potential

The Pentagon may be on the verge of cutting ties with Scouting America, one of America’s preeminent youth organizations that has helped produce generations of American servicemembers. This decision would...

November 24, 2025 | Seth J. Frantzman |

An inside look at the US-backed Civil-Military Coordination Center for Gaza stabilization

The US-backed Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in southern Israel’s Kiryat Gat continues to grow as efforts to stabilize Gaza ramp up. The center, created on October 17 by US Central...

October 5, 2025 | Caleb Weiss |

Shabaab claims prison assault in Mogadishu

Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu was yet again the victim of a brazen terrorist attack conducted by Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch for East Africa. Yesterday, at least seven Shabaab gunmen stormed the...

August 22, 2025 | Bridget Toomey |

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...

June 24, 2025 | Bridget Toomey, Joe Truzman, Bill Roggio

Iraqi military bases targeted in overnight strikes

As Israel and Iran exchanged final volleys of fire in the early hours of June 24 after US President Donald Trump brokered a still-uncertain ceasefire, unknown actors, strongly thought to be Iran-backed...

April 24, 2025 | Behnam Ben Taleblu, Andrea Stricker, Joe Dougherty

Iran Nuclear Program Talks

April 19, 2025 | Reuel Marc Gerecht, Ray Takeyh

The Iranian Negotiating Tactic the Trump Administration Doesn’t Get

Sanctions and ‘maximum pressure’ have never made the clerical regime abandon its nuclear ambitions.

April 18, 2025 | Ahmad Sharawi |

Pro-Iranian Iraqi network releases documents on Ahmad al Sharaa’s identity

On April 16, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani invited Syrian interim President Ahmad al Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al Jolani, to attend the Arab League summit scheduled for...

August 29, 2024 | Orde Kittrie, Bradley Bowman, Behnam Ben Taleblu

Deterring Iran’s Dash to the Bomb

July 13, 2024 | Caleb Weiss |

Jihadis mount prison mutinies across Africa

Over the last few days, jihadis have mounted two attacks inside prisons in Somalia and Niger. While the mutiny inside the Nigerien prison was successful, the Somali prison assault appears to have been...

April 10, 2024 | Bradley Bowman, Cameron McMillan

The consequences of US weakness in Iraq and Syria

U.S. forces in the Middle East are on high alert after Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s foreign minister, suggested on Monday that Tehran may attack U.S. forces in the region following...

October 11, 2023 | Joe Truzman |

Another Iraqi Shia militia threatens the United States over involvement in Israel

Hezbollah Brigades, an Iranian proxy that operates primarily in Iraq but also in Syria, has joined the chorus of so-called ‘Islamic Resistance’ groups in issuing threats against the United States as...

September 15, 2023 | John Hardie |

Ukraine Might Finally Get ATACMS. Here’s What That Means.

Media reports suggest Washington may soon grant Kyiv’s longstanding request for the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS. While not a silver bullet, ATACMS would provide Ukraine with valuable...

August 26, 2023 | Hussain Abdul-Hussain |

‘Ghosts of Beirut’ gets Hezbollah’s most wanted all wrong

Showtime miniseries is thrilling but its portrayal of Hezbollah’s American-killing Imad Mughniyeh is wide off the historical mark

April 28, 2023 | Bradley Bowman, Orde Kittrie, Ryan Brobst

The United States and Saudi Arabia: A Possible Path Forward