Iraq’s Parliament elects a new speaker to end a nearly yearlong vacuum

BAGHDAD — After a nearly yearlong vacuum, Iraq’s Parliament elected a new speaker Thursday, selecting a prominent Sunni lawmaker who has a close relationship with Iran. Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who served a previous stint as speaker from 2006 to 2009, was elected by a vote of 182 of the 269 legislators who attended the session, a […]

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Explosion reported at US military facility near Baghdad airport ahead of Iranian president’s visit

BAGHDAD — Iraqi security officials said an explosion targeted a site used by the U.S. military next to Baghdad airport late Tuesday, one day before an expected visit by Iran’s president. The expected visit by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Baghdad Wednesday would be his first official trip abroad since taking office. Iraq’s security media […]

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Iran’s new president travels to neighboring Iraq on his first trip abroad

BAGHDAD — Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian traveled to Iraq on Wednesday on his first trip abroad, hoping to cement Tehran’s ties to Baghdad as regional tensions increasingly pull both countries into the widening Middle East fray. For Iran, its relationship with Iraq remains crucial for economic, political and religious reasons — something that has […]

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Clashes break out at protests over arrested activists in southern Iraq

Hundreds of protesters have gathered in the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah demanding the release of activists arrested over earlier demonstrations, with clashes breaking out between protesters and security forces BAGHDAD — Hundreds of protesters gathered Friday in the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah demanding the release of activists arrested over earlier demonstrations, with clashes breaking out […]

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Iraq moves to revoke Saudi broadcaster’s license after report angered militia supporters

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s commission governing media announced Saturday that it would take steps to revoke the license of a Saudi television station to operate in the country. That came hours after dozens of supporters of Iraqi militias stormed and looted the office of the broadcaster, MBC, in Baghdad in protest over a report that described […]

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Iraqi forces kill Islamic State group commander and 8 other officials

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s prime minister announced Tuesday that the Islamic State militant group’s leader in Iraq was killed in a military operation along with eight of the group’s other senior leaders.‎ Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said that Jassim al-Mazroui Abu Abdul Qader was killed in an operation by counterterrorism forces and the national security […]

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Kurdish militants claim responsibility for deadly attack on Turkish defense firm

BAGHDAD — A banned Kurdish militant group on Friday claimed responsibility for an attack on the headquarters of a key defense company in Ankara that killed at least five people. A statement from the military wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, PKK, said Wednesday’s attack on the premises of the aerospace and defense company TUSAS […]

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