About our Iraq news
Latest news on Iraq, covering Baghdad, Erbil, Kurdistan, Basra, Mosul, Iraqi politics, government, oil, economy, security, human rights, and US-Iran tensions.
Iraq, a country of more than 44 million people at the crossroads of the Middle East, remains one of the most strategically significant nations in the region. Its economy is heavily dependent on oil, which accounts for over 90 per cent of government revenue and around half of GDP, with crude output of approximately four million barrels per day making Iraq one of OPEC's largest producers. Despite vast energy wealth, structural challenges persist, including high youth unemployment, limited economic diversification, endemic corruption, and a public sector that employs a disproportionate share of the workforce.
Iraq's political landscape has been shaped by the November 2025 parliamentary elections, which saw voter turnout rise to 56 per cent. Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani's Reconstruction and Development Coalition won the most seats, but the process of forming a new government has been marked by prolonged negotiations. The Shia-led Coordination Framework, which includes Iran-aligned parties, nominated former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, but the United States signalled strong opposition. As of early 2026, the government formation process remains unresolved, reflecting a pattern of post-election deadlocks rooted in Iraq's ethno-sectarian power-sharing system known as muhasasa, which divides key posts among Shia, Sunni, and Kurdish blocs.
Iraq's position between Iran and the Gulf states has once again placed it at the centre of regional conflict. The country hosts approximately 2,500 US troops as part of an international coalition, and US military bases in Erbil, Baghdad, and Anbar province have come under repeated attack from Iran-backed groups, including the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of militias linked to the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF). Drone and missile strikes have targeted oil infrastructure in Basra and the Kurdistan Region, while Iraqi airspace has been disrupted. The Iraqi government has urged all parties not to use its territory as a launchpad, but the country's complex web of armed actors and foreign military presences makes neutrality difficult to maintain.
Beyond the headlines of conflict and politics, Iraq faces deep humanitarian and environmental challenges. More than one million people remain internally displaced, many in camps across Ninewa, Duhok, and Erbil governorates, while the country has experienced its worst drought conditions in decades, displacing tens of thousands of families and devastating agriculture, particularly in southern provinces. Water scarcity, compounded by pollution flowing downstream towards Basra, has become a growing driver of internal migration. The reopening of Mosul International Airport after an 11-year closure offered a symbol of recovery, but tragedies such as the Kut shopping mall fire in July 2025, which killed more than 60 people, underscored ongoing failures in public safety and governance.
Iraq's modern history has been defined by cycles of conflict and reconstruction, from the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s through the 2003 invasion, the rise and fall of ISIS, and the protest movements of 2019. The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), established in 2003 to support the country's post-war transition, ended its mandate in December 2025 — a milestone reflecting Iraq's increased stability, but also marking the withdrawal of a long-standing international support structure. Tensions between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) over oil revenues, budget allocations, and public sector salaries continue to strain federal relations, while Turkey's military operations against the PKK in northern Iraq have displaced the populations of scores of villages in Duhok governorate. Human rights concerns remain acute, including restrictions on press freedom, the criminalisation of homosexuality, and the failure to pass a long-awaited anti-domestic violence law.
Our NewsNow feed on Iraq brings you comprehensive, constantly updated coverage from across this complex and consequential country. Whether you are following the government formation process, the impact of regional conflict on Iraqi security and oil markets, developments in the Kurdistan Region, or the humanitarian situation affecting millions of displaced Iraqis, this feed draws from a wide range of reliable sources to keep you informed on the stories that matter.