Iraq

Drone strike hits Erbil refinery halting operations, Riyadh intercepts Iranian missiles, drones

A drone strike caused a fire at an Iraqi refinery, while Saudi Arabia intercepted Iranian missiles and drones targeting key regions.

|ByJAMES GENN, REUTERS
A gas flare burns at the Lanaz refinery after it was targeted by a drone strike, in Erbil, Iraq, March 14, 2026.
An Iraqi army Humvee stands guard near the U.S. Embassy, after Iraqi security sources said the embassy was hit in a missile attack, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 14, 2026.

US embassy urges Americans to leave Iraq

Earlier on Saturday, the US Embassy in Baghdad was hit by a missile attack, Iraqi security sources told Reuters.

|ByREUTERS
A soldier is stationed at the entrance to the Varces barracks south of Grenoble in the Isere department on Friday 13 March 2026 where was based Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion a soldier with the 7th Alpine Chasseurs Battalion who was killed in an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq.

After French soldier killed in Iraq, will Baghdad stop attacks?

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, who have been targeting the Kurdistan Region with drones and missiles, were likely behind a drone attack that killed a French soldier.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Smoke rises following a missile attack on the US embassy in Baghdad on March 14, 2026.

Missile strikes helipad in US embassy compound in Iraq

The attack came after a missile was intercepted on its way to Doha, Qatar, on Friday night, with the country evacuating certain areas as a precautionary measure.

|ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN

Six US soldiers killed after refueling tanker collides with second aircraft in west Iraq

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, ​an ​umbrella group of ⁠Iran-backed ​armed factions, claimed responsibility for downing the US military aircraft, Reuters reported.

MARCH 13, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM, SHIR PERETS
A KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft takes off from a base in the US Central Command area of responsibility, December 19, 2025 in support of Operation Hawkeye Strike as the US military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria in retaliation for a terror attack.

French officer killed, at least five soldiers wounded in drone strike on base in Iraq’s Makhmour

Macron called the attack "unacceptable" and said that the French troops were stationed in the region as part of France's support in fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

MARCH 12, 2026ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN, REUTERS
French soldiers at a military outpost outside the Kurdish city of Erbil, Iraq, January 2, 2017.

Iran-backed militias in Iraq suffer increased losses as airstrikes hit multiple bases

The most recent attacks have targeted a camp of the PMF in Qaim in western Iraq on the border with Syria. Ten members of the group were killed.

MARCH 12, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Iraqi security forces stand guard during a funerary procession for a slain member of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, or the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in Baghdad on March 8, 2026.

Airstrike on Italian base in Iraq was deliberate, defense minister says

The defense ministry initially spoke of a missile attack on the Italian base in Erbil, but ministry sources later said it was a drone that had destroyed a military vehicle, possibly by accident.

MARCH 12, 2026ByREUTERS
A general view shows the Dukan dam in Sulaimaniyah in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region on March 11, 2026.

Six vessels attacked in Gulf, Strait of Hormuz as war puts merchant ships on front lines

Shipping in the Gulf and along the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which carries around a fifth of the world's oil, has come to a near-standstill since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28

MARCH 12, 2026ByREUTERS
The Thailand-flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree engulfed in black smoke in the Strait of Hormuz, March 11, 2026.

As chaos of Iran war rages around region, Iraq struggles to select a new prime minister

Initially, it appeared that former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki would become the new prime minister.

MARCH 11, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki leaves after casting his ballot at a polling station in Baghdad on November 11, 2025 during Iraq's parliamentary elections.

Drone strikes US diplomatic hub in Iraq, pro-Tehran militias suspected

The strike hit the diplomatic support center, a logistical hub for US diplomats near Baghdad airport and Iraqi military bases, the Post reported.

MARCH 11, 2026ByREUTERS
A new Shahed-161 drone is displayed during an exhibition showcasing missile and drone achievements in Tehran on November 12, 2025.

WATCH: IRGC-linked media shares propaganda video using Lego, blaming Israel-US for Minab school

Iran’s Revayat-e Fath institute's propaganda video uses Lego models to blame Israel and the US for the Minab strike and shows "retaliatory" attacks on Cyprus, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Iraq.

MARCH 10, 2026ByJAMES GENN
IRGC propaganda showing officers planning missile launches towards Tel Aviv, created using Lego, March 10, 2026.

Are Iranian drone attacks on consulate in Erbil a red line for the UAE? - analysis

It was the latest attempt by the Iranian regime and Iranian-backed militias to target the UAE, which has been attacked with hundreds of drones and missiles since the war with Iran broke out.

MARCH 10, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq February 12, 2026.

Iraq under pressure to curb Iran-backed militias after Rubio call - analysis

Iraq is now at a crossroads. Iran is increasingly turning Iraq into a battlefield. Iraq appears unwilling to rein in the militias in Iraq. Iraqis know the situation is dire.

MARCH 10, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A protester holds an image of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite armed groups attempt to move toward the US embassy located in Baghdad's Green Zone, while riot police deploy to block their advance, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 1, 2026.