Explore Business Standard
Iraq
Iraq's dominant parliamentary bloc on Monday nominated Ali al-Zaidi, a businessman and political newcomer, to be the country's prime minister. The announcement by the Coordination Framework, a coalition of Shiite parties allied with Iran, followed a meeting at the government palace. It came after weeks of internal debate among its member parties aimed at selecting a compromise candidate to lead the next government. Even with the backing of the dominant bloc, the new government is not assured of receiving the required number of votes. The coalition had previously said it would back former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who the US administration views as too close to Iran. US President Donald Trump publicly announced his opposition to al-Maliki and threatened to cut off aid to Iraq if he was appointed. While al-Maliki remained defiant after Trump's intervention, the bloc decided to shift to a compromise candidate. In a statement announcing al-Zaidi's nomination, the Coordination
The US imposed sanctions on seven senior commanders of Iraqi militias that are supported by Iran, including groups like Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, for allegedly planning and carrying out attacks on US personnel and coalition forces in the region. Officials have said the move is part of a broader effort to counter Iran's influence in Iraq and deter further violence against US interests. The action also signifies a US strategy of using economic pressure, not just military force, to target Iran's network of allies, while warning global banks and firms to stop doing business with anyone tied to these groups. "We will not allow Iraq's terrorist militias, backed by Iran, to threaten American lives or interests," Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said Friday. "Those who enable these militias' violence will be held accountable." US Central Command says ships moving through Strait of Hormuz ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "We'll s
Iraq's parliament voted Saturday to elect Nizar Amidi, a political official with one of the country's two main Kurdish parties, as president, five months after a parliamentary election that didn't produce a bloc with a decisive majority. His election comes as Iraq is reeling from the fallout of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Iraq became caught in the middle of the conflict, with Iran-backed militias launching attacks on US bases and diplomatic facilities as well as on critical energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, the US and Israel carried out airstrikes targeting the militias, some of which killed members of the Iraqi military. The war and Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz also largely halted the oil exports upon which Iraq's economy depends. Amidi, a member of the political bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, beat out a roster of candidates that included Iraq's current Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, who was the pick of the rival Kurdistan Democratic Party. By ...
Iraqi oil fields once alive with the buzz of workers are nearly deserted. Ports that pulsed with the churn of cargo have fallen still, the din of commerce replaced by the soft rhythm of waves. A month after the war in Iran started, workers at ports and oil fields in the province of Basra, where almost all of Iraq's crude is produced and exported, have grown accustomed to rockets streaking across the sky, aimed at US air bases and other strategic facilities. The war, which began with US-Israeli strikes, is dealing a heavy blow to Iraq's economy. Iraq relies on oil revenues for roughly 90% of its budget, and most of its oil is exported through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf where Iran has effectively stopped cargo traffic during the conflict. The war also has led to a sharp reduction in the volume of imported goods reaching southern Iraq's ports, while attacks have halted traffic at the border it shares with Iran. Unlike other countries in the Middle East
To speak with his mother inside Iran, Yaser Fattahi waits in self-exile in Iraq for brief calls arranged by a cousin back home who travels close to the border between the neighbouring countries where he can pick up a signal to connect them. Fattahi fled to neighbouring Iraq in December, fearing arrest over his participation in anti-government protests in Iran. A trained nurse, he was caring for wounded protesters in their homes so they wouldn't have to seek care in state-run hospitals that were under surveillance. Now, as the war intensifies, he worries constantly for his mother's safety amid US and Israeli bombardment. The war has disrupted telecommunications and concentrated Iranian forces along the frontier, choking off communications and trade for many. When Fattahi's cousin can make it to the border, he calls over WhatsApp using one phone with an Iraqi SIM card and then connects to Fattahi's mother using another phone with the Iranian cell network. "The calls last a minute or
Interceptions and drone activity were heard for hours overnight Saturday across Irbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq, including drones shot down while attempting to target the US consulate and nearby bases. AP journalists in the area reported non-stop loud explosions and saw at least one drone headed toward American facilities, in one of the most intense days of attacks since the war began. Iran-aligned militias in Iraq have stepped up repeated drone and missile attacks on US bases, including in Irbil. In a statement on Saturday, the US condemned what it called "despicable terrorist attacks" by Iran's militant groups, saying the strikes on Kurdish regional President Nechirvan Barzani's residence in Irbil earlier that day were "a direct assault on Iraq's sovereignty, stability and unity." The attack caused material damage but no casualties, and the residence was empty at the time.
China on Tuesday said it will provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran, Lebanon and two other West Asian countries hit hard by the ongoing conflict in the region. Speaking at a media briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that Beijing has decided to provide emergency humanitarian aid to Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq in the hope of easing the humanitarian plight faced by local people. "The ongoing conflict has inflicted excruciating humanitarian disasters on (the) people of Iran and other regional countries. China deeply sympathises with people in relevant countries", Lin said. He was responding to a question about whether China is considering providing humanitarian assistance to the relevant countries, as the UN Refugee Agency recently said the crisis in West Asia has constituted a major humanitarian emergency, and the affected regions already host nearly 25 million refugees, internally displaced persons and returnees. Iran has suffered many innoce
Dozens of Iranians crossed into northern Iraq Sunday - the first day the border had opened since war struck their country - to buy cheaper groceries, access the internet, contact relatives and find work. Travellers said constant airstrikes and soaring food prices have made life in Iran increasingly desperate. Trucks laden with goods snaked through the Haji Omeran crossing from Iraq's Kurdish region, offering a hoped for respite from high costs on the Iranian side. Even before the US and Israel launched their war against Iran, Iranian Kurds routinely crossed into Iraqi Kurdistan, sharing deep familial, cultural and economic ties and porous borders that enable steady trade and regular visits. Now Iraq's Kurdish region has become a crucial lifeline for Iranians in the war-torn region to reach the outside world. "When this border was closed, it affected everyone. Poor people, rich people, workers," said Khider Chomani, a truck driver on his way to Iran carrying goods. The border was .
A missile struck a helipad inside the US Embassy compound in Baghdad, two Iraqi security officials said. Associated Press footage showed a column of smoke rising Saturday morning over the embassy compound. The sprawling embassy complex, one of the largest US diplomatic facilities in the world, has been repeatedly targeted by rockets and drones fired by Iran-aligned militias. here was no immediate comment from the US Embassy in Baghdad. On Friday, the embassy renewed its Level 4 security alert for Iraq, warning that Iran and Iran-aligned militia groups have previously carried out attacks against US citizens, interests and infrastructure, and "may continue to target them." The sprawling embassy complex, one of the largest US diplomatic facilities in the world, has been repeatedly targeted by rockets and drones in the past by Iran-aligned militias.
An Indian national has reportedly been killed in an attack carried out by Iran using a "suicide" boat against a US-owned oil tanker near Iraq. US-owned and Marshal Island-flagged oil tanker Safesea Vishnu was attacked off Khor Al Zubair port inside Iraq's territorial waters by an Iranian "suicide" boat, sources told PTI. An Indian national, whose name is being withheld at the moment, has reportedly been killed in the attack while the remaining 27 crew and personnel on the oil tanker have been rescued and taken to Basra, the sources said. Sources close to Safesea, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the company is devastated to learn of the loss of the Indian national in the attack. They have called for the Indian government to strongly condemn the attack and take urgent action to ensure safety of crew onboard ships in the region amid the escalating West Asia conflict. The sources voiced concern that as Indians constitute over 15 per cent of the seafarers globally, irrespectiv