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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

On April 20, 2006, Chinese and US leaders Hu Jintao and George W. Bush stand side by side during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House. Photo: AP

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Exclusive | Word to the wise on organising a Chinese leader’s US visit

Ex-senior US intelligence official Dennis Wilder reflects on his experience of Hu Jintao’s 2006 White House visit ahead of Xi-Trump meeting.

19 Sep 2026 - 8:50AM

South Korea

‘No deployment for war’: South Korea rejects US request for Iran support

18 Sep 2026 - 4:26PM

US, Israel war on Iran

US pivot leaves Saudi Arabia with ‘humiliating dilemma’ over Houthis

18 Sep 2026 - 6:40PMvideocam

Qatar

Iranian and Saudi panellists spar at Xiangshan Forum over Middle East attacks

Verbal battle erupts at security conference over Tehran’s targeting of US bases in Saudi Arabia.

17 Sep 2026 - 7:48AMvideocam

Iranian representative Mohammad Taghi Osanlou attends the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

Price of Epic Fury: Iran war’s toll on US bases, weapons and more

Pentagon inspector general offers an official accounting of the war’s costs in expended US munitions and damages.

15 Sep 2026 - 3:46PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Saudi pipeline that bypasses Hormuz shut after attacks

The kingdom said the East-West pipeline was targeted by drones launched from Iraq, causing several injuries.

12 Sep 2026 - 6:33PM

United States

Americans mark 25 years since 9/11 attacks amid enduring grief, reflection

Nearly 3,000 people were killed on the day that has shaped US society for decades, influencing its foreign policy and domestic politics.

12 Sep 2026 - 1:30AM

Flowers are left at the memorial during the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11 attacks in New York on Friday. Photo: AFP

United States

On This Day | America faces ‘darkest hour’ as 9/11 attacks unfold in 2001 – SCMP archive

Two hijacked planes destroyed the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, leaving thousands dead and a nation in shock.

11 Sep 2026 - 10:30AM

South Korea

Caught between US and Iran, South Korea weighs Hormuz role

Seoul is sending a fact-finding mission to the UAE as it balances Washington’s security requests with warnings of Iranian retaliation.

9 Sep 2026 - 6:47PM

Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Once Upon a Time in the Middle East: Shen Teng leads anti-war blockbuster

Full of roaring action and heart-wrenching tension, this mainland China hit delivers a message of peace through Chinese cooking appreciation.

9 Sep 2026 - 4:15PMvideocam

Shen Teng in a still from Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (category IIB; Chinese, English, Arabic), directed by Wen Muye. Jiang Qiming and Omar Sherif co-star.

US, Israel war on Iran

US probes deadly strike on Iran wedding that experts link to US munition

Vice-President J.D. Vance says Washington is investigating reported attack ‘because obviously we care’.

4 Sep 2026 - 2:31PM

The point of impact on a residence in Kuhestak, southern Iran, where the wedding celebration was taking place. Photo: Tasnim News Agency via AP

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran targets US bases in Kuwait despite warnings from Trump

Iran launches missiles and drones at Gulf neighour following US strikes that killed at least 19.

3 Sep 2026 - 10:08PM

Pacific nations

Exclusive | New Zealand ‘must never be seen as a proxy’, former PM Helen Clark warns

Calling the US Pacific strategy a ‘game of bluff’, Clark urges Wellington to defend its independent foreign policy tradition.

3 Sep 2026 - 10:25AMvideocam

United States

US Army Secretary Driscoll resigns after rifts in Pentagon leadership

Top civilian official’s departure marks the latest leadership upheaval following reported tensions with Pete Hegseth.

1 Sep 2026 - 1:03PM

Dan Driscoll's departure is the latest in a series of resignations and firings within the US military. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump declares ‘Mission Accomplished’ in Iran, as conflict drags on

US president’s claim evokes George W. Bush’s premature declaration about the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

27 Aug 2026 - 11:49AM

US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Friday. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

US starts returning staff to some Middle East missions after war evacuations

US move signals lower risk of immediate regional escalation, though select missions will cap capacity at 75 to 85 per cent.

26 Aug 2026 - 8:59AM

US, Israel war on Iran

‘We’re paying the price’: Iran fury makes US a liability for some Kuwaitis

‘Targeting locations where the Americans are stationed has created fear and anxiety among residents,’ a Kuwaiti national says.

25 Aug 2026 - 6:35PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran condemns US plans to announce new sanctions

Warning that nations joining the US ‘economic war’ would be deemed enemies, Iran said the move could affect trading partners including China.

23 Aug 2026 - 6:10AM

The Iranian newspaper Jame-Jam with a cartoon of US President Donald Trump, the title reading in Persian “Duplicated Sanctions version”, outside a kiosk in Tehran, Iran on Saturday. Photo: EPA

Mainland China

What does a hit film about the Iraq war say about Chinese views of the world?

Once Upon a Time in the Middle East has been co-opted into an ongoing soft power drive to promote Beijing’s message internationally.

19 Aug 2026 - 9:00AMvideocam

Saudi Arabia

Russia’s role in Middle East politics endures, shifts to being ‘secondary power’

Two Russian military bases will remain in Syria as the region continues to recalibrate its relations with major powers amid the Iran war.

15 Aug 2026 - 1:00PM

Saudi Arabia

How Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact acts as ‘insurance’ over US disengagement

The Mecca deal may emerge as a third geopolitical ‘centre of gravity’ in the Middle East, with more members joining, analysts say.

9 Aug 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (centre), flanked by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca on Friday. Photo: Turkish Presidency Press Office/AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

How US became trapped in ‘dreadful situation’ of its own making over Iran war

With Iran holding firm to its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, Trump faces one of two choices: capitulate or risk a ‘forever war’, experts say.

6 Aug 2026 - 3:21PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16. Photo: Getty Images

US, Israel war on Iran

US embassies urge citizens to consider departing Middle East

The warning by embassies including those in the UAE, Qatar, Israel, Oman and Bahrain came after Trump threatened to hit Iran ‘very hard’.

2 Aug 2026 - 12:57AMvideocam

United States

As I see it | Despite immense power, the US delivers neither butter nor bullets

While Americans know they can’t get the welfare benefits they need, their leaders must realise their military can’t give them world domination.

31 Jul 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

US launches more strikes on Iran as conflict spreads across region

Pentagon retaliates following attempted attacks targeting American forces while fighting draws in Tehran-backed proxies.

30 Jul 2026 - 8:25PM

An explosion at an unknown location, during what the US military says are strikes on Iran. Photo: US Central Command via Reuters

Banking & finance

Standard Chartered posts 10% profit rise, launches US$1b buy-back

Share price surges on 38 per cent rise in wealth-management revenue, even as Middle East tensions and bad debt temper profit growth.

29 Jul 2026 - 6:24PMvideocam

Net profit climbed to a record US$3.37 billion, according to Standard Chartered. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Iranian missile salvoes and US-Saudi strikes shatter brief Middle East lull

Joint air strikes hit Tehran-backed militia sites in Iraq after dozens of drone and missile attacks across the region.

29 Jul 2026 - 6:55PM

United Nations

Prominent figures appeal for refugee protections as UN convention turns 75

Global advocates sign ‘The Promise’ statement as UNHCR faces severe funding cuts and tightening border restrictions worldwide.

29 Jul 2026 - 1:01PM

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Iraq

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Exclusive | Word to the wise on organising a Chinese leader’s US visit

Ex-senior US intelligence official Dennis Wilder reflects on his experience of Hu Jintao’s 2006 White House visit ahead of Xi-Trump meeting.

‘No deployment for war’: South Korea rejects US request for Iran support

US pivot leaves Saudi Arabia with ‘humiliating dilemma’ over Houthis

Iranian and Saudi panellists spar at Xiangshan Forum over Middle East attacks

Verbal battle erupts at security conference over Tehran’s targeting of US bases in Saudi Arabia.

Price of Epic Fury: Iran war’s toll on US bases, weapons and more

Pentagon inspector general offers an official accounting of the war’s costs in expended US munitions and damages.

Saudi pipeline that bypasses Hormuz shut after attacks

The kingdom said the East-West pipeline was targeted by drones launched from Iraq, causing several injuries.

Americans mark 25 years since 9/11 attacks amid enduring grief, reflection

Nearly 3,000 people were killed on the day that has shaped US society for decades, influencing its foreign policy and domestic politics.

On This Day | America faces ‘darkest hour’ as 9/11 attacks unfold in 2001 – SCMP archive

Two hijacked planes destroyed the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, leaving thousands dead and a nation in shock.

Caught between US and Iran, South Korea weighs Hormuz role

Seoul is sending a fact-finding mission to the UAE as it balances Washington’s security requests with warnings of Iranian retaliation.

Review | Once Upon a Time in the Middle East: Shen Teng leads anti-war blockbuster

Full of roaring action and heart-wrenching tension, this mainland China hit delivers a message of peace through Chinese cooking appreciation.

US probes deadly strike on Iran wedding that experts link to US munition

Vice-President J.D. Vance says Washington is investigating reported attack ‘because obviously we care’.

Iran targets US bases in Kuwait despite warnings from Trump

Iran launches missiles and drones at Gulf neighour following US strikes that killed at least 19.

Exclusive | New Zealand ‘must never be seen as a proxy’, former PM Helen Clark warns

Calling the US Pacific strategy a ‘game of bluff’, Clark urges Wellington to defend its independent foreign policy tradition.

US Army Secretary Driscoll resigns after rifts in Pentagon leadership

Top civilian official’s departure marks the latest leadership upheaval following reported tensions with Pete Hegseth.

Trump declares ‘Mission Accomplished’ in Iran, as conflict drags on

US president’s claim evokes George W. Bush’s premature declaration about the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

US starts returning staff to some Middle East missions after war evacuations

US move signals lower risk of immediate regional escalation, though select missions will cap capacity at 75 to 85 per cent.

‘We’re paying the price’: Iran fury makes US a liability for some Kuwaitis

‘Targeting locations where the Americans are stationed has created fear and anxiety among residents,’ a Kuwaiti national says.

Iran condemns US plans to announce new sanctions

Warning that nations joining the US ‘economic war’ would be deemed enemies, Iran said the move could affect trading partners including China.

What does a hit film about the Iraq war say about Chinese views of the world?

Once Upon a Time in the Middle East has been co-opted into an ongoing soft power drive to promote Beijing’s message internationally.

Russia’s role in Middle East politics endures, shifts to being ‘secondary power’

Two Russian military bases will remain in Syria as the region continues to recalibrate its relations with major powers amid the Iran war.

How Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact acts as ‘insurance’ over US disengagement

The Mecca deal may emerge as a third geopolitical ‘centre of gravity’ in the Middle East, with more members joining, analysts say.

How US became trapped in ‘dreadful situation’ of its own making over Iran war

With Iran holding firm to its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, Trump faces one of two choices: capitulate or risk a ‘forever war’, experts say.

US embassies urge citizens to consider departing Middle East

The warning by embassies including those in the UAE, Qatar, Israel, Oman and Bahrain came after Trump threatened to hit Iran ‘very hard’.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}As I see it | Despite immense power, the US delivers neither butter nor bullets

While Americans know they can’t get the welfare benefits they need, their leaders must realise their military can’t give them world domination.

US launches more strikes on Iran as conflict spreads across region

Pentagon retaliates following attempted attacks targeting American forces while fighting draws in Tehran-backed proxies.

Standard Chartered posts 10% profit rise, launches US$1b buy-back

Share price surges on 38 per cent rise in wealth-management revenue, even as Middle East tensions and bad debt temper profit growth.

Iranian missile salvoes and US-Saudi strikes shatter brief Middle East lull

Joint air strikes hit Tehran-backed militia sites in Iraq after dozens of drone and missile attacks across the region.

Prominent figures appeal for refugee protections as UN convention turns 75

Global advocates sign ‘The Promise’ statement as UNHCR faces severe funding cuts and tightening border restrictions worldwide.

Exclusive | Word to the wise on organising a Chinese leader’s US visit

As I see it | Despite immense power, the US delivers neither butter nor bullets