Iraq

'Last plane to leave Tehran': Mossad's final Iran chief Eliezer Tsafrir dies at 92

Tsafrir, a veteran Mossad and Shin Bet official and Israel’s last station chief in Tehran before 1979, played a central role in Israel’s early regional intelligence efforts.

|ByALEX WINSTON
Eliezer "Geizi" Tzafrir, former Mossad chief for Iraqi Kurdistan and last before the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, poses for a Maariv interview back in 2022.
U.S. soldiers attached to the Iowa National Guard sign GBU-31 munitions systems in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Dec. 18, 2025 as the U.S. military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria in retaliation for an attack on U.S. personnel.

CENTCOM says up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be moved to Iraq from Syria

"Ultimately, up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be transferred from Syria to Iraqi-controlled facilities," CENTCOM said.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A Kurdish internal security forces member stands guard with a weapon as Syrian Kurds attend a protest in solidarity with the people in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo, in Hasakah, Syria January 7, 2026.

'October 7 moment for Kurds': Israel must assist Syria's Kurds amid attacks, analysts tell 'Post'

Over the last decade, the SDF worked with the US and defeated ISIS in Syria. However, now the SDF is facing major setbacks, and Kurds fear they may be massacred.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Kurdish Peshmerga fighters affiliated with PAK train on January 18, 2026 near Erbil, Iraq.

Iran escalates regional response to protests with strike on Kurdish forces - report

Video and photos from the site of the attack show the destruction of vehicles and other debris from the incident.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Iran is rearming as 'Axis of Resistance' regroups - can Israel stop an inevitable war? - opinion

The longer Jerusalem waits to strike again, the more danger Tehran’s retaliation could pose. Preparations for this all but inevitable war should begin now.

NOVEMBER 19, 2025ByOVED LOBEL
IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER Abbas Araghchi recently declared: ‘Our missile power today far surpasses that of the 12-day war,’ the writer notes.

The Iraqi cleric and ex-Houthi spokesperson breaking ranks to defend Israel online

Two Arab activists are challenging dominant regional narratives by defending Israel online, even after facing bombings, persecution, and exile.

NOVEMBER 19, 2025ByDANA BEN-SHIMON
Ghaith Al-Tamimi condemned the October 2025 Yom Kippur attack on a synagogue in Manchester, England.

Kurdistan’s security architecture recast as Peshmerga unification continues

The Kurdistan region has its own armed forces, the Peshmerga. Among the largest units are the KDP and PUK, which each have tens of thousands of fighters.

NOVEMBER 18, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A KURDISH peshmerga soldier stands at a lookout near Bashiqa in northern Iraq

Iraqi PM-led coalition tops Iraq election with 46 seats, commission says

Prime Minister Sudani's bloc wins Iraq's election, but forming a new government may take months due to challenges in building a majority and balancing US-Iran influence.

NOVEMBER 18, 2025ByREUTERS
A man holds a flag of Iraq from a car with an election poster featuring current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, as supporters of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition celebrate after preliminary election results were announced in Baghdad, Iraq, November 12, 2025.

PKK’s partial withdrawal from Turkey raises questions about peace deal - analysis

The Kurdistan Workers' Party’s decision to pull back from the Turkish border raises hopes for peace but leaves crucial questions about its future actions in Iraq, Syria, and beyond.

NOVEMBER 17, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Fighters with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) walk for a disarmament ceremony marking a significant step toward ending the decades-long conflict between Turkey and the outlawed group, in the Qandil mountains, Iraq October 26, 2025.

Iran ramps up anti-West rhetoric, expands influence in Iraq and Lebanon - analysis

Iran is strengthening ties with allies in Iraq and Lebanon while accusing the US and Israel of coercive diplomacy in its latest regional push.

NOVEMBER 16, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, September 9, 2025.

After elections, Iraq walks a tightrope between US ties and Iran’s control - analysis

Iraq’s recent election saw 329 seats contested along sectarian lines. The outcome will impact the US-Iraq security arrangement and address the growing power of Iran-backed militias.

NOVEMBER 12, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Iraqi polling officials count ballots at a polling station after closing of the polls during the country's parliamentary election in Al-Muhandiseen district in eastern Baghdad on November 11, 2025.

Iran engages in diplomatic blitz, strengthening ties with Iraq, Uzbekistan, UAE - analysis

Amid tensions with Israel and the US, Iran is ramping up diplomacy to build a "multipolar order," strengthening ties with Iraq, the UAE, and Uzbekistan to safeguard its regional influence.

NOVEMBER 11, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
PROTESTERS, MOSTLY Houthi supporters, sit along an Iranian flag at a demonstration in support of Palestinians and Iran, in Sanaa last week. Aggression by proxies such as the Houthis must be treated as direct Iranian attacks, says the writer.

Iraq wraps up early voting as country braces for pivotal parliamentary elections

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani called the vote decisive for the country's long-term direction, as it comes amid political splintering, voter fatigue, and realignments among key factions.

NOVEMBER 10, 2025ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF
An Iraqi female security member votes at a polling station during a special voting, two days before the polls open to the public in a parliamentary election, in Najaf, Iraq November 9, 2025.

US must keep Iraq central as Iran rebuilds its Ring of Fire - opinion

If Iran and its proxies are quiet, it is strategic, not surrender.

NOVEMBER 10, 2025ByERIC R. MANDEL
IRAQ’S PRIME MINISTER Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani (left) meets with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran earlier this year. Israeli officials warn that Iranian-controlled Iraqi militias are regaining strength, the writer notes.