After the US invasion in 2003 toppled Saddam, Shiite clerics in Najaf helped the country get back on its feet. Its views are still sought, shaping the direction of Iraq today.
Armed groups have proliferated in the Iraqi security vacuum, in some cases supported by Iran. After three US soldiers were killed, the Americans have hit back. How will the militias react now?
Friday's drone attack on one of Iraq's largest gas fields has led to a temporary suspension of production, resulting in major power cuts across the country's northern Kurdistan region.
After nine Turkish soldiers were killed by the PKK in Iraq, there is a sombre and angry mood in Ankara. There are major political implications into local elections and over relations with the US.
Iraq and Iran both commemorated the third anniversary of the assassination of Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis as the year kicked off with new assassinations and recriminations.
The justification given for attacks by Iran-backed militias on US bases in Iraq and Syria is America's continued support for Israel in its war on Gaza.
In his recently published novel '105 Days in IS Prisons', Mohammed Al-Attar details the destruction of Mosul's social fabric at the hands of both IS and PMF forces
In his award-winning novel, the Iraqi-French author explores the contemporary history of Iraq over more than half a century and the events that led Iraq to where it is now.
The smuggling industry is worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually, and few alternatives exist to earn a living in the area. Border guards are trigger-happy, and calls for change are ignored.
Israel's refusal to accept the US-Qatari-Egypt-brokered ceasefire deal and press on with its Rafah offensive is likely to increase its international isolation even further
For decades, Israel has been trying to defeat Hamas without success. After seven brutal months of war, it still exists. There is reason to think it always will.
A big pro-EU bloc should still hold sway even if the ultra-nationalists make gains. More broadly, the results will act as a barometer of public mood in the first vote since Russia invaded Ukraine.
The old colonial power thinks this North African nation it knows so well may be a source of future economic growth, but Rabat has widened its choices and now has plenty of offers from elsewhere.