Ali al-Zaidi vowed to disarm the country's armed militias by 30 September, but could not. Iran critics worry that it will be much harder without US troops on the ground
A power vacuum left by the US toppling of Saddam's regime gave an opening for Iran to exploit. Today, its influence in Iraq extends to the political, security and economic spheres
As Washington's ability to protect its bases across the Middle East has been substantially weakened by the US war on Iran, Iraqi Kurds look for ways to shield themselves from further entanglement
Al-Zaidi's push to take arms out of militias' hands and bring them under state control is exposing deep political divisions and challenging the government's authority at home and abroad
Baghdad is opening its energy sector to US investment while racing to diversify oil exports, strengthen its economy, and reduce its vulnerability to regional conflict
As YouTube star Accurso's influence grew, she transitioned from educator to child advocate. But it only became 'controversial' when she spoke up for Palestinian kids
The achievements of September's US-China summit are underwhelming: a short trade truce extension, a reciprocal tariff reduction, a coal purchase, talks on AI, and two pandas. The rest is what matters
From Gaza to Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan, Iraq, and Algeria, this year's Arab Oscar submissions explore stories of conflict, displacement, memory, and survival