The Latest Breaking News from Iraq

Iraq seeks exemption from US ban on Iran airlines

Iraq is currently negotiating with the United States for an exemption from the recent ban on Iranian airlines. This ban has caused significant travel disruptions at airports, especially in Najaf, impacting patients and students. Many Iraqis are expressing concern over losing access to medical treatment and the potential for long…

The Economic Times · Sep 26

Iraq's Najaf airport halts Iran flights as Tehran threatens countries with airspace disruption

Najaf International Airport has decided to suspend all flights to and from Iran starting Friday. This move has prompted neighboring countries to also halt services operated by Iranian airlines. In response, the US has imposed fresh sanctions on these airlines and their regional partners. Iranian authorities have issued warnings of…

The Times of India · Sep 25

Turkish forces to withdraw from strategic military base in northern Iraq

Turkey will gradually hand over the Bashiqa-Zilkan camp, where it has had troops since 2015, to the Iraqi government.

Euronews · Sep 25

Turkey to hand over military base in northern Iraq to Baghdad

Turkey will gradually hand over control of its Bashiqa military base in northern Iraq to Baghdad, Ankara and Baghdad said Wednesday, in a move aimed at strengthening Iraqi state authority and easing a long-running source of tension between the neighbours.

France 24 · Sep 24

Saddam Hussein used Oliver Reed and a James Bond director to tell Iraq’s story – but who tells it now?

From the beginning of his brutal reign in Iraq, Saddam Hussein could claim an unusual credit: film producer. After Saddam became president in 1979, his cousin played him in The Long Days. The film dramatised his role in a failed 1959 attempt to assassinate Iraq’s then-prime minister, Abdul-Karim Qasim.

The Conversation · Sep 23

Iraq suspends Iranian flights to Baghdad after US sanctions threat, sources say

Iraq has ordered the suspension of Iranian flights to Baghdad airport starting Wednesday at midnight. This decision follows US threats of sanctions against airports servicing Iranian airlines. Discussions are ongoing regarding the diversion of Iranian Airways flights to Najaf airport. Iranian flights to Oman have also been canceled, with ongoing…

The Economic Times · Sep 23

Iraq suspends Iranian flights to Baghdad after US sanctions threat: Report

Iraq has ordered its civil aviation authority to suspend Iranian flights to Baghdad airport from Wednesday, Reuters reported citing sources. This comes after US threatened secondary sanctions against airports and service providers that continue to handle Iranian carriers.

The Times of India · Sep 23

Saudi Arabia-Iraq oil row: Riyadh denies buying 25 tankers as shipping costs soar

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday rejected an Iraqi claim that it had purchased 25 oil tankers, calling the information false. Basim, the oil minister of Iraq during a parliamentary session revealed that Saudi Arabia had purchased 25 oil tankers valued at an estimated $4.5 billion.

The Times of India · Sep 22

India’s Russian oil imports fall 16.5% in August as Middle East supplies rise

India’s Russian oil imports fell 16.5% month-on-month to about 2.1 million bpd in August, while purchases from Iraq rose sharply and Saudi Arabia increased supplies. The shift comes as Middle Eastern producers use storage and export terminals outside the Strait of Hormuz, while Indian refiners weigh future Russian purchases against…

The Economic Times · Sep 22

Iraq to collect 6 million weapons despite pushback from Iran-backed militias

Baghdad recast 30 September — originally a hard deadline for armed factions to surrender an estimated 6 million weapons — as the start of the regulatory process as Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba refuse to hand over what they call "resistance weapons".

Euronews · Sep 22