Iraq

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq declare support for regime in case of war against US

Akram al-Kaabi, a leader of paramilitary forces in Iraq, verbally attacked Trump and his Iraq envoy, saying that repeated violations of sovereignty would not be tolerated.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite armed groups gather during a rally in solidarity with Iran's government in Tehran,near the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad,Iraq January 16, 2026.
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki reacts at a polling station inside Al-Rasheed Hotel during the parliamentary election in Baghdad, Iraq, November 11, 2025.

Trump intervenes in Iraq politics, warns Maliki comeback could repeat past mistakes

He was ousted in 2014 as Iraq fell into chaos, but has spent the last decade regaining power, recently winning support from key Shi’ite factions.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki reacts at a polling station inside Al-Rasheed Hotel during the parliamentary election in Baghdad, Iraq, November 11, 2025.

Trump says US won't help Iraq if it picks Maliki as prime minister

In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned that reinstalling Nouri al-Maliki would be a "very bad choice" for Iraq.

|ByREUTERS
A soldier in an ISIS uniform prepares ammunition.

ISIS numbers grow as Syrian instability continues, Iraq warns

In the rare interview, al-Shatri said Iraqi intelligence estimates suggest that ISIS’s presence in Syria has grown from roughly 2,000 fighters a year ago to as many as 10,000 terrorists today.

|ByASHER SMITH

Iraq says it will begin legal proceedings against ISIS prisoners transferred from Syria

More than 10,000 members of the ultra-hardline terror group have been held for years in about a dozen prisons and detention camps guarded by the SDF in Syria's northeast.

JANUARY 22, 2026ByREUTERS
A Syrian national flag flutters next to the Islamic State's slogan at a roundabout where executions were carried out by ISIS militants in the city of Palmyra, in Homs Governorate, Syria April 1, 2016.

'Last plane to leave Tehran': Mossad's final Iran chief Eliezer Tsafrir dies at 92

Tsafrir, a veteran Mossad and Shin Bet official and Israel’s last station chief in Tehran before 1979, played a central role in Israel’s early regional intelligence efforts.

JANUARY 22, 2026ByALEX WINSTON
Eliezer "Geizi" Tzafrir, former Mossad chief for Iraqi Kurdistan and last before the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, poses for a Maariv interview back in 2022.

CENTCOM says up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be moved to Iraq from Syria

"Ultimately, up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be transferred from Syria to Iraqi-controlled facilities," CENTCOM said.

JANUARY 21, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
U.S. soldiers attached to the Iowa National Guard sign GBU-31 munitions systems in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Dec. 18, 2025 as the U.S. military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria in retaliation for an attack on U.S. personnel.

'October 7 moment for Kurds': Israel must assist Syria's Kurds amid attacks, analysts tell 'Post'

Over the last decade, the SDF worked with the US and defeated ISIS in Syria. However, now the SDF is facing major setbacks, and Kurds fear they may be massacred.

JANUARY 21, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A Kurdish internal security forces member stands guard with a weapon as Syrian Kurds attend a protest in solidarity with the people in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo, in Hasakah, Syria January 7, 2026.

Iran escalates regional response to protests with strike on Kurdish forces - report

Video and photos from the site of the attack show the destruction of vehicles and other debris from the incident.

JANUARY 21, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Kurdish Peshmerga fighters affiliated with PAK train on January 18, 2026 near Erbil, Iraq.

Kurdish unity: Protests erupt across Iraq in support of Syria's Rojava

The crisis in Syria is affecting Kurds all over the world, primarily due to the fear that members of the Syrian government’s security forces may commit abuses amid the new offensive.

JANUARY 20, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Members of the Kurdish community and other protesters attend a demonstration against Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa and recent military clashes between the Syrian army and Kurdish forces, in Berlin, Germany, January 19, 2026.

What happens to ISIS detainees as Syria moves to take over SDF prisons - analysis

Amid fighting there are concerns ISIS detainees held in Syria could escape, while a deal foresees them being handed over to Damascus

JANUARY 19, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Women and children queue during a joint security operation by Syria's Kurdish Internal Security Police Force, also known as Asayesh, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) at Camp Roj where foreign relatives of people suspected of belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group are held.

US withdraws from Iraq’s Ain al-Asad Airbase, maintains presence in Kurdistan region

An initial plan for US withdrawal from the base stipulated that hundreds of troops would leave by September 2025, with the rest departing by the end of 2026.

JANUARY 19, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Military vehicles of US soldiers are seen at the al-Asad air base in Anbar province, Iraq, January 13, 2020.

Are Iraqi militias and Afghan fighters suppressing protests in Iran? - analysis

It’s possible Iran has used foreign groups to suppress protesters. Because they are foreigners, they have no allegiance to average Iranians and likely don’t mind harming them.

JANUARY 18, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
People gather during protest on January 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Kataib Hezbollah hires Iraqi militias to suppress protests in Iran, sources tell Media Line

As reports of Iraqi fighters in Iran circulate, flight patterns and eyewitness descriptions suggest an organized pipeline

JANUARY 15, 2026ByALI HUSSAIN/THE MEDIA LINE
Reported footage of Iranian security forces suppressing the Iranian protests