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النسخة العربية
  • Politics
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  • Iraq

Units of Moqtada Sadr's militia parade with his photo down a main street of the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City June 21, 2014, in Eastern Baghdad. Washington Post

Sadr once again dismantles his armed militia. Why now?

The decision to dismantle the Peace Brigades may herald a new stage in the Iraqi state's trajectory, or it could just be a shrewd recalibration to disorient friend and foe alike

Khairuldeen Al Makhzoomi 03 June 2026
Outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Prime Minister-designate Ali Zaidi at the Government Palace in Baghdad on 27 April 2026. Reuters

Ali Zaidi: Iraq's stopgap prime minister-designate?

Some see his nomination as a bid to buy time until the US-Iran war outcome becomes clearer, which could very well shift political calculations in Iraq

Ayad Al-Anbar 05 May 2026
Gregori Saavedra

Iraqi militias turn on the state

As the US-Iran war intensifies, it has drawn in non-state actors across the region. While Baghdad says it is not a party to the conflict, militias have stepped in on Tehran's side.

Baghdad, London - Al Majalla 02 April 2026
Gregori Saavedra

Between war and peace: will Iraq cross the Rubicon?

Powerful militias have usurped the state's authority by opening a war front to support Iran. At this critical juncture, Iraq needs statesmen willing to put the state first.

Ayad Al-Anbar 02 April 2026
Ewan White

Iraq's internal battle for influence comes to a head

New fronts have opened up across the region in light of the US-Israeli war on Iran, as non-state actors with links to Tehran fear for their futures

Rustum Mahmud 02 April 2026
AFP / Al Majalla

What newly released Jordan-UK exchanges on the eve the Iraq war reveal

They show that King Abdullah tried his best to blunt the blow of a US-led invasion by offering a diplomatic off-ramp to avert catastrophe

Malek Al Athamna 28 December 2025
Axel Rangel García

Why Iran-backed militias did well in Iraq's elections

Their success in Iraq's recent elections has less to do with genuine public support and more to do with vote buying through the massive wealth they've accrued through power

Elizabeth Tsurkov 25 November 2025
Supporters of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition celebrate after preliminary election results were announced in Baghdad, Iraq, on 12 November 2025. Reuters

Iraq's establishment triumphs over hopes for change

A revised electoral law and the fragmentation of civil groups contributed to an election result that saw no clear parliamentary majority and the return of established parties

Ayad Al-Anbar 17 November 2025
Donald Trump poses with his new special envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya Mark Savaya on X

Mark Savaya: is Trump's new envoy to Iraq up to the task?

He will be expected to play an active role in getting Iraq to disband armed factions, as pressure from Washington is expected to intensify

Aqeel Abbas 08 November 2025
Iraqi painter and sculptor Dia al-Azzawi

Dia Azzawi’s latest murals mourn the ruin of Arab cities

Iraqi sculptor's epic wall-mounted installations evoke the destruction of Aleppo and Mosul, displayed in Beirut in the shadow of ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Mohamed abi Samra 11 October 2025
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A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter affiliated with Iran's separatist Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), mans a position north of Kirkuk, in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region. Safin Hamid/AFP
Politics

Why Iran’s militant Kurds stayed out of the US-Iran war

31 May 2026

In March there was talk of armed Kurdish fighters opening a second front in Iran's north-west, but it never happened—for several very good reasons.

Alex Vatanka
Raúl Castro was Cuban president from 2006 to 2018, having served as Minister for the Armed Forces from 1959 to 2008. AFP
Profiles

Raúl Castro: the soldier who made Fidel’s revolution endure

31 May 2026

Fidel's brother built Cuba's armed forces and took over the presidency when his more charismatic sibling fell ill two decades ago. A recent US indictment from a 1996 incident now asks new questions.

Stefanie Butendieck Hijerra
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shake hands at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on 25 May 2026. Reuters
Politics

How Pakistan became China’s indispensable intermediary

01 June 2026

With war closing the Strait of Hormuz, Islamabad has become both broker and bridge, mediating between rivals while keeping Beijing's overland trade routes alive

Shirley Ze Yu
SARA GIRONI CARNEVALE
Business & Economy

How AI is changing the nature of work

01 June 2026

Some predict 'the end of jobs,' others a 'jobs apocalypse,' but optimists think people will adapt and get paid to do different things. Amidst war and mountains of debt, is AI a help or a harbinger?

Abdel-Rahman Ayas
Turkish drilling vessel Cagri Bey, which is set to conduct Turkiye's first deep-sea drilling operation docks in the Indian Ocean near the Mogadishu sea port in Mogadishu, Somalia April 10, 2026. Reuters / Feisal Omar
Business & Economy

Türkiye’s proposed maritime bill risks reigniting old rivalries

01 June 2026

The Exclusive Economic Zone risks reopening disputes over energy, maritime claims, and influence in the Eastern Mediterranean

Amr Emam

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OPINIONS

Syria’s wheat price crisis needs more than a presidential fix

Haid Haid
Haid Haid

Sadr once again dismantles his armed militia. Why now?

Khairuldeen Al Makhzoomi
Khairuldeen Al Makhzoomi

Mustafa Khalid's latest novel distils the chaos of war

Mansour Al-Souaim
Mansour Al-Souaim

Cuba, lawfare, and Trump’s Venezuela temptation

Stefanie Butendieck Hijerra
Stefanie Butendieck Hijerra
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