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Iraq

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Iraq. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Baghdad

Head of State

President Abdul Latif Rashid

Head of Government

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani

A US military F-35 fighter jet flies overhead during Independence Day celebrations in Washington on July 4. Photo: AFP

United States

US plan to allow Turkey back into F-35 jet scheme faces Israeli opposition

Turkey was ejected from the American F-35 programme in 2019 after it bought Russian air-defence systems.

10 Jul 2026 - 6:33PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Crowds of mourners gather in Tehran for Khamenei funeral procession

6 Jul 2026 - 5:10PM

Middle East

Thousands gather in Iran as Khamenei funeral ceremonies begin

4 Jul 2026 - 6:09PM

Middle East

Video | Iranians gather in Tehran ahead of Khamenei’s funeral

While Islamic law requires swift burials, exceptions are made in times of war.

3 Jul 2026 - 7:23PM

01:53

Iran

Iranian leaders pay respects at Khamenei’s coffin as funeral begins

Delayed by months of conflict, Iran prepares to bury its slain supreme leader with a week of mass mourning.

3 Jul 2026 - 10:09PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Gulf states in a bind over Iran’s grip on Hormuz, US troop removal talks

Analysts say GCC members face an uncertain ‘new normal’, prompting them to expand outreach to Tehran for long-term peace.

2 Jul 2026 - 9:47PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran prepares funeral for late supreme leader killed on war’s first day

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s public funeral will begin Saturday as Iran and the US observe a fragile ceasefire.

1 Jul 2026 - 3:16PM

A mural in Tehran depicts late figures aligned with the Iranian government, all carrying the flag-draped casket of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

14 million barrels of stranded Iraq oil travels through Strait of Hormuz

Meanwhile, US envoys Steve ‌Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in Qatar to discuss the Middle East conflict with mediators.

30 Jun 2026 - 7:48PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran survived 3 months of war. Can it survive the aftermath?

US$270 billion in damage and 4 million citizens plunged into poverty may have broken Iran’s economy.

27 Jun 2026 - 1:41PMvideocam

Russia

Disgruntled parents and children force Russia to remove Roblox ban

Moscow banned access to the gaming platform last year, accusing it of promoting ‘LGBT propaganda’.

11 Jun 2026 - 5:53PM

Around 100 million people use Roblox daily, according to the company. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Immediately stop shooting’: Trump urges Iran and Israel amid tit-for-tat strikes

Fragile April ceasefire collapses as direct tit-for-tat strikes resume on day 100 of the US-Israel war against Iran.

8 Jun 2026 - 7:13PM

Iranians attend a rally in Tehran after Iran’s attack on Israel on Sunday. Photo: EPA

US, Israel war on Iran

Tanker hit by explosion near Hormuz hours after US strikes on Iran

The incident, in the Gulf of Oman about 60 nautical miles east of Muscat, was an ‘external explosion’, UKMTO said.

26 May 2026 - 10:16PM

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

27 countries seek access to World Bank funds since Iran war

An analyst says nations prefer the World Bank over the International Monetary Fund for help, due to the IMF’s austerity measures.

23 May 2026 - 4:22PM

US-China relations

As I see it | Beijing had already won before the Trump-Xi summit even started

There’s a lesson for the US president in Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in the early 19th century.

15 May 2026 - 8:43PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump (bottom right) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping upon arriving at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14. Photo: Reuters

Vietnam

Vietnam asks US to let crucial oil tanker slip past Hormuz blockade

The ship’s destination, Nghi Son, can process 200,000 barrels a day – meaning the 1.99 million barrel load can keep it going for 10 days.

19 May 2026 - 9:20PMvideocam

Agios Fanourios I arrives in Iraq’s territorial waters off Basra for loading on April 17. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

US tells banks to flag suspected Iranian money-laundering networks

Banks are asked to look out for oil labelled ‘Malaysian blend’ to disguise its Iranian origin and missing or falsified shipping documents.

12 May 2026 - 11:04AM

Australia

Australia warns of arrests as 13 people linked to Isis set to return from Syria

The four women and nine children, who had been living in Roj camp in Syria, are expected to land in Sydney and Melbourne on Thursday.

6 May 2026 - 12:52PMvideocam

Middle East

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

3 May 2026 - 10:30AM

The port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on April 17. Photo: EPA/The UAE Presidential Court

US, Israel war on Iran

Why UAE’s exit from Opec is good news for oil-thirsty Asia

Once free of Opec’s production caps, the world’s sixth-largest oil producer plans to flood the market with 5 million barrels a day.

29 Apr 2026 - 11:23AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

UAE to leave Opec after 6 decades, oil cartel unity questioned

Abu Dhabi, long at odds over quotas, says exit will free output as experts point to Saudi rift and push to boost production.

29 Apr 2026 - 9:11AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Opinion | 122 years on, Mackinder’s ‘heartland’ remains geopolitically decisive

Conflicts in Ukraine and Iran have returned strategic focus to the idea of Eurasia as central to the global power contest, challenging the viability of the Indo-Pacific pivot.

27 Apr 2026 - 7:29AMvideocam

War and conflict

Opinion | Blinding the world with lies makes peacemaking an impossible task

From Iran to the Horn of Africa, disinformation is killing diplomacy. Mediators need facts, not state-sponsored fictions.

25 Apr 2026 - 11:00AM

A satellite image shows smoke rising from an oil refinery in Tuapse, Russia, on Monday after an overnight strike claimed by Ukraine’s military. Photo: Planet Labs PBC/Reuters

Middle East

Letters | Iran war is not just a short-term energy disruption

Readers discuss a possible motivation behind the war, Pakistan’s role as a mediator, and Republican silence in the face of the US president’s actions.

16 Apr 2026 - 11:30AM

Middle East

Abducted US journalist released by Iraqi armed group, Rubio says

Iran-backed militia frees Shelly Kittleson with a warning that the move ‘will not be repeated’.

8 Apr 2026 - 10:25AM

China-EU relations

China, Europe and why Beijing took a swing at Iran over the Strait of Hormuz

Beijing takes a stand at the United Nations at the closure of shipping lanes.

3 Apr 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

About a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies usually pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

United States

Hegseth ousts army’s top uniformed officer, even as US wages war on Iran

Chief of Staff Randy George has been asked to take early retirement, in the latest of over a dozen firings of top generals and admirals.

3 Apr 2026 - 6:55AMvideocam

US Army Chief of Staff General Randy George speaks to American soldiers in southern Germany in February. Photo: AFP

Japan

Japan’s PM will mull top-level talks with Iran at ‘appropriate’ time

Stability in the Middle East is vital for Japan, which relies on the region for over 90 per cent of its crude oil imports.

30 Mar 2026 - 9:54PMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

Netanyahu says Israel will widen its invasion of southern Lebanon

The PM said Israel would expand what he called the ‘existing security strip’ in Lebanon as Israeli forces continue to target Hezbollah.

30 Mar 2026 - 1:59AMvideocam

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Iraq

US plan to allow Turkey back into F-35 jet scheme faces Israeli opposition

Turkey was ejected from the American F-35 programme in 2019 after it bought Russian air-defence systems.

Crowds of mourners gather in Tehran for Khamenei funeral procession

Thousands gather in Iran as Khamenei funeral ceremonies begin

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Video | Iranians gather in Tehran ahead of Khamenei’s funeral

While Islamic law requires swift burials, exceptions are made in times of war.

Iranian leaders pay respects at Khamenei’s coffin as funeral begins

Delayed by months of conflict, Iran prepares to bury its slain supreme leader with a week of mass mourning.

Gulf states in a bind over Iran’s grip on Hormuz, US troop removal talks

Analysts say GCC members face an uncertain ‘new normal’, prompting them to expand outreach to Tehran for long-term peace.

Iran prepares funeral for late supreme leader killed on war’s first day

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s public funeral will begin Saturday as Iran and the US observe a fragile ceasefire.

14 million barrels of stranded Iraq oil travels through Strait of Hormuz

Meanwhile, US envoys Steve ‌Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in Qatar to discuss the Middle East conflict with mediators.

Iran survived 3 months of war. Can it survive the aftermath?

US$270 billion in damage and 4 million citizens plunged into poverty may have broken Iran’s economy.

Disgruntled parents and children force Russia to remove Roblox ban

Moscow banned access to the gaming platform last year, accusing it of promoting ‘LGBT propaganda’.

‘Immediately stop shooting’: Trump urges Iran and Israel amid tit-for-tat strikes

Fragile April ceasefire collapses as direct tit-for-tat strikes resume on day 100 of the US-Israel war against Iran.

Tanker hit by explosion near Hormuz hours after US strikes on Iran

The incident, in the Gulf of Oman about 60 nautical miles east of Muscat, was an ‘external explosion’, UKMTO said.

27 countries seek access to World Bank funds since Iran war

An analyst says nations prefer the World Bank over the International Monetary Fund for help, due to the IMF’s austerity measures.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}As I see it | Beijing had already won before the Trump-Xi summit even started

There’s a lesson for the US president in Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in the early 19th century.

Vietnam asks US to let crucial oil tanker slip past Hormuz blockade

The ship’s destination, Nghi Son, can process 200,000 barrels a day – meaning the 1.99 million barrel load can keep it going for 10 days.

US tells banks to flag suspected Iranian money-laundering networks

Banks are asked to look out for oil labelled ‘Malaysian blend’ to disguise its Iranian origin and missing or falsified shipping documents.

Australia warns of arrests as 13 people linked to Isis set to return from Syria

The four women and nine children, who had been living in Roj camp in Syria, are expected to land in Sydney and Melbourne on Thursday.

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

Why UAE’s exit from Opec is good news for oil-thirsty Asia

Once free of Opec’s production caps, the world’s sixth-largest oil producer plans to flood the market with 5 million barrels a day.

UAE to leave Opec after 6 decades, oil cartel unity questioned

Abu Dhabi, long at odds over quotas, says exit will free output as experts point to Saudi rift and push to boost production.

Opinion | 122 years on, Mackinder’s ‘heartland’ remains geopolitically decisive

Conflicts in Ukraine and Iran have returned strategic focus to the idea of Eurasia as central to the global power contest, challenging the viability of the Indo-Pacific pivot.

Opinion | Blinding the world with lies makes peacemaking an impossible task

From Iran to the Horn of Africa, disinformation is killing diplomacy. Mediators need facts, not state-sponsored fictions.

Letters | Iran war is not just a short-term energy disruption

Readers discuss a possible motivation behind the war, Pakistan’s role as a mediator, and Republican silence in the face of the US president’s actions.

Abducted US journalist released by Iraqi armed group, Rubio says

Iran-backed militia frees Shelly Kittleson with a warning that the move ‘will not be repeated’.

China, Europe and why Beijing took a swing at Iran over the Strait of Hormuz

Beijing takes a stand at the United Nations at the closure of shipping lanes.

Hegseth ousts army’s top uniformed officer, even as US wages war on Iran

Chief of Staff Randy George has been asked to take early retirement, in the latest of over a dozen firings of top generals and admirals.

Japan’s PM will mull top-level talks with Iran at ‘appropriate’ time

Stability in the Middle East is vital for Japan, which relies on the region for over 90 per cent of its crude oil imports.

Netanyahu says Israel will widen its invasion of southern Lebanon

The PM said Israel would expand what he called the ‘existing security strip’ in Lebanon as Israeli forces continue to target Hezbollah.

Video | Iranians gather in Tehran ahead of Khamenei’s funeral

As I see it | Beijing had already won before the Trump-Xi summit even started