Baghdad wants good relations with Washington, but its ties with Tehran run deep. Under increased pressure, it may have to pick a side once and for all.
A pressure campaign by Washington to curb Tehran's influence over Baghdad seems to be yielding results, but any moves to disarm Iran-allied militias could stoke serious violence
Washington's long-term strategy to unshackle Iraq from Iranian influence is yielding results. Having pulled a potent mix of financial and military levers, the militias have been eerily quiet of late.
It is no easy task to write about a wound that has yet to heal. In Nasiriyah and the Reed Hut, published by Al-Masar Publishing House, Ahmed Abdul Sattar reopens this wound
Intelligence chief and then prime minister, he left Iraq after threats and an assassination attempt from Iranian-backed militias. Now that he is back, he tells Al Majalla what he has planned.
The US wants this huge Iran-aligned group to disband, but with 240,000 personnel, an arsenal of weapons, and a $3.4bn annual budget, the PMF is closer to becoming an integral part of the Iraqi state
The Ba'ath movement was a big part of the Arab world for almost 80 years. Its demise in Iraq after 35 years in power—and in Syria just recently—comes with important lessons.
While Trump's rhetoric doesn't always match his actions, there are more signs than not that the US will draw down its forces in the region, leaving room for other actors to step in
Trump is unlikely to join an Israeli foray into Iraq, but he may decide to withhold the $250mn annual military assistance to Baghdad as a way to pressure the government to rein in its militias
While the US public has long been supportive of Israel, its genocide in Gaza appears to have had a big effect, with most young Americans now outright hostile towards it
A 24-minute standing ovation at the film premiere was more than a symbolic gesture of justice for Israel's murder of little Hind, but a heartfelt cry of real anguish over the ongoing genocide in Gaza
Lebanon's president and prime minister have a big decision to make: whether, and how, to use the army to disarm Hezbollah. Today's army can be trusted, but its task must be well thought through.
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