Iraq

Iraq elects Kurdish politician Nizar Amidi as president amid war fallout

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 ...

Suspending operations for two weeks, says Iraq's Islamic Resistance

Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq has suspended its operations in Iraq and across the region for two weeks

Iraq welcomes ceasefire between US and Iran, calls for 'serious' dialogue

Iraq also called for building on this positive step by launching serious and sustainable dialogue tracks that address the root causes of the disputes and enhance mutual trust

Iran-linked groups target US diplomats in Iraq; Washington urges action

US Embassy in Baghdad, the US Consulate General in Erbil and the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Centre have been repeatedly targeted since the onset of the US-Israeli war with Iran

Iraq thanks Iran for allowing oil tankers through Strait of Hormuz

Hussein made the remarks during a meeting with Iran's ambassador to Iraq Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadeq

Iraq's oil hub slows to crawl as Strait of Hormuz closure strangles exports

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

War disrupts life on Iraq-Iran border, isolates families, halts trade

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

Explosions rock Iraq's Irbil as attacks target US consulate, bases

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.

Iran-aligned militias attacking US citizens in Iraq, says US Dept of State

US cautioned its nationals to leave Iraq immediately

China to provide humanitarian aid to Iran, three other West Asia nations

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

Iranians cross into Iraq for cheaper food, work after border reopens

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 .

Missile strikes helipad inside US Embassy in Baghdad: Iraqi officials

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.

All 6 airmen in refuelling aircraft that crashed in Iraq dead: US military

The military says the circumstances of the incident are being investigated

Iraq shuts down oil ports after attack on marine vessels near its waters

Ships remain in the waiting area, and loading and unloading are ongoing at the North and South Um Qasr ports

Indian killed in Iranian 'suicide' boat attack on tanker in Iraqi waters

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

Nomura cuts India FY27 GDP forecast to 7% amid West Asia conflict

Tensions in West Asia, if sustained, could test the goldilocks mix of robust growth and stable inflation, Nomura said in a recent note.

Iraq starts shutting major oil fields as Hormuz crisis halts exports

The oil-market's worst fears have been realised this week after Hormuz all-but closed to shipping because of the Iran war

US special envoy for Iraq no longer in the post amid tensions with Baghdad

Savaya, a Christian Iraqi-American entrepreneur, was among a handful of Arab Americans named to senior posts by Trump, however, it was not immediately clear what prompted Savaya's departure

Al-Maliki stands his ground as Trump warns of ending US support for Iraq

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki expressed defiance on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw Washington's support for Iraq if he returns to power. "We reject the blatant American interference in Iraq's internal affairs and consider it a violation of its sovereignty," al-Maliki, who is nominated by the country's dominant political bloc to return to the premiership, said in a statement. Trump in a social media post Tuesday wrote, "Last time Maliki was in power, the Country descended into poverty and total chaos," adding, "Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq and, if we are not there to help, Iraq has ZERO chance of Success, Prosperity, or Freedom." Washington has been pushing Iraq to distance itself from Iran and sees al-Maliki as too close to Tehran. His last term, which ended in 2014, also saw the rise of the Islamic State group, which seized large swaths of the ...

Iraq, Yemen militias hint at attacks as Iran-US tensions escalate

Two Iranian-backed militias in the Mideast are signalling their willingness to launch new attacks, likely trying to back Iran on Monday as it worried about an approaching US aircraft carrier after President Donald Trump threatened military action over its crackdown on nationwide protests. Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels signalled a willingness to resume attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. That came just after Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah paramilitary group, long supported by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, issued a direct threat late Sunday toward any attack targeting Iran, warning a "total war" in the region would be a result. However, both the Houthis and Kataib Hezbollah sat out from Israel's 12-day war on Iran in June that saw the United States bomb Iranian nuclear sites. The hesitancy to get involved shows the disarray still affecting Iran's self-described "Axis of Resistance" after facing attacks from Israel during its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Threats from Iraq