Iraq
Iran temporarily closes Strait of Hormuz due to 'security precautions,' shipping safety
According to Fars, the IRGC Navy commander declared that, "The weapon that reaches the battlefield on the day of war is different from what is displayed in exercises."
Thirty-four Australians released from a camp holding families of suspected ISIS terrorists in Syria
Moving suspected ISIS prisoners to Iraq shows Washington doesn’t fully trust Damascus, expert says
Iraq's Kurds emerge as Middle East's key diplomatic players at Munich Security Council - analysis
Iraqi Sunnis divided over upcoming vote for parliament speaker
Iraq’s top leadership is divided along sectarian lines, with the president being Kurdish and the prime minister usually a Shi’ite. The lower-level speaker of parliament's role goes to Sunnis.
Christian communities grow slowly as share of population falls in Middle East, North Africa
Analysts say the pattern is driven by a mix of factors: outward migration, lower birth rates, and increasingly, disaffiliation or conversion.
Iraqi militias may disarm over US-Israel threats, 30 million light weapons outside state control
With 90% of Iranian-backed groups agreeing to surrender weapons, experts warn that secret stockpiles, divided loyalties, and political bargaining could undermine the process.
Christmas passes peacefully in the Middle East
Christmas was celebrated by Christian communities across the region, including in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.
Following shutdown, Iraq expects Iranian gas supplies to resume within a week, official says
The electricity ministry said on Tuesday that the flow of gas from Iran had been halted due to the shutdown of some generating units and load shedding at others.
Iraq says gas supplies from Iran have been halted as Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign kicks in
The ministry reported that 4,000 to 4,500 megawatts of power have been lost from the electrical system due to the halt in Iranian gas supplies.
A Kurdish crisis and a missing American: Iran’s expanding influence in Iraqi Kurdistan - opinion
An internal Kurdish power feud has triggered mass arrests, alleged executions, and the unresolved detention of an American veteran amid rising Iranian influence.
Is Pakistan pushing for a greater role in the Middle East over South Asia? - analysis
Several recent meetings indicate Pakistan’s potential shift from a focus on South Asia to West Asia. This may also reflect its intention to work more closely with the US under Donald Trump.
Iranian-backed militias may be weighing disarmament amid Iraq political shift
US Envoy to Iraq, Mark Savaya, posted on X overnight between December 21 and 22 that the steps being taken by “armed groups” in Iraq are “welcome and encouraging.”
Baghdad’s showdown with Iranian-backed militias could reshape Iraq’s future - analysis
Calls grow to disarm the militias in Iraq, but Kataib Hezbollah refuses to comply.
