Iraq

Trump’s Syria-Iraq pipeline plan aims to weaken Iran’s leverage - opinion

Trump is backing a revived Iraq-Syria oil pipeline to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and reshape Middle East energy.

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during a bilateral meeting alongside the NATO leaders summit in Ankara, last month.
Smoke billows near the oil facility in Mangaf, Kuwait, July 18, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video.

Iran attacks US base in Kuwait, vessel hit by projectile near Strait of Hormuz

Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi speaks during a parliamentary session to vote in a new government headed by Ali al-Zaidi as prime minister, at the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, May 14, 2026.

Saudi Arabia, Middle East neighbors pressure Iraq to rein in Iranian-backed militias - analysis

Security personnel stand guard on the day of a funeral procession for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 in Israeli and US airstrikes, in Najaf, Iraq, July 8, 2026.

US troop pullback raises fears of more attacks on Iraqi Kurdistan - analysis


One US service member killed in Iraq, unidentified remains of soldier found in Jordan, CENTCOM says

CENTCOM also announced that unidentified remains were located in Jordan on Sunday in the same locations where an Iranian strike killed two US service members on Saturday.

Members of the military salute during a dignified transfer of the remains of six US Army service members of the 103rd Sustainment Command, who were killed in Kuwait, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, US, March 7, 2026.

US pushes Mediterranean oil pipelines to bypass Strait of Hormuz despite proxy security risks

Middle East correspondent Battaglia said that, in her view, if it were up to al-Zaidi, Baghdad would already have decided to chart its future with the United States rather than with Iran.

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi as they participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington.

Iran targets Kurdistan in regional escalation, spiking gas prices and tensions - analysis

Iran’s attacks on the Kurdistan Region come as the Iraqi prime minister has wrapped up his visit to the US.

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.

Damascus calls Hezbollah ‘terrorist militia’, partners with Iraq to stop arms smuggling

The ministry said specialized security units intercepted a suspicious vehicle near the Syrian-Iraqi border and discovered a cache of long-range missiles, guided anti-tank missiles, and drones. 

Drones displayed by Syria's Interior Ministry after authorities said they were seized during an operation that foiled an alleged cross-border weapons smuggling attempt near the al-Tanf border crossing with Iraq, July 16, 2026.

Archaeologists discover rare 2,600-year-old stele of Assyrian king in Iraq's Nineveh

The stele has since been moved to the Inspectorate’s headquarters to undergo initial restoration work so that it can be studied in depth.

A fragment of an ancient stele dating to the reign of the Assyrian King Ashurbanipal found in Iraq's Nineveh province, July 17, 2026.

From forced conversion to genocide: How Yazidis carry centuries of persecution into exile

MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS: The Islamic interpretation of the Yazidi faith is what members of ISIS used to justify the enslavement of over 6,000 women and children and the murder of more than 5,000 people.

A Yazidi woman holds a flame during the Charshama Sor Red New Year ceremony at the Lalish temple in Iraq in April. For a community repeatedly driven from its ancestral homes and subjected to forced conversions, religious tradition has become an enduring expression of survival and continuity.

Syria’s actions against Hezbollah weapons smuggling showcase its regional commitment - analysis

As US President Donald Trump maneuvers to bring about peace in Lebanon, Syria plays a key role in helping cut off the arms flow to Hezbollah.

Syrian security forces seize a Hezbollah weapons shipment near the Syrian-Iraqi border, July 16, 2026.

Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi's visit to US, meeting with Trump strengthens US-Iraq ties - analysis

It appears that Trump likes Iraq’s new leader. Zaidi is a former businessperson, like Trump. As such, Zaidi tried to present a new face of Iraq to the White House.

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi as they participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, July 14, 2026.

Hezbollah-tied individual arrested on suspicion of spying for Israel in Lebanon

The individual was accused of providing intelligence to Israel that ultimately allowed the Jewish state to kill four top-tier security leaders in the terror group.

 Hezbollah members parade during a rally marking al-Quds Day, (Jerusalem Day) in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon April 5, 2024.

US supporting efforts to revive Iraq-Syria crude oil pipeline, US official says

Bloomberg reported that Chevron could play a role in rebuilding the pipeline, though the company declined to comment.

Performing checks at Turkey’s Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, run by state owned Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAS). Crude oil flows through the Kirkuk Ceyhan pipeline, linking Iraq to Turkey; Illustrative.