Iraq

Renowned IDF paratrooper, architect of Kurdish relations, Tzuri Sagi dies aged 92

During Sagi's 32 years of service, he held operational positions in the IDF’s regular Paratroopers Brigade, the reserve Paratroopers Brigade, and served as commander of regional brigades.

|BySHLOMI GABAI
Retired Brig.-Gen. Tzuri Sagi.
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and his Iraqi counterpart Haibat al-Halbousi attend a meeting at the parliament building in Baghdad on August 19, 2026.

How Ghalibaf’s visit could redefine Iran-Iraq ties amid regional tensions - analysis

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf visited Iraq as Tehran sought to protect its allied militias and signal it would not budge on the Strait of Hormuz.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi attend a meeting at the parliament building in Baghdad on August 19, 2026.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf's Iraq visit seeks to reshape ties amid regional unrest

Upon Ghalibaf’s arrival, he insisted that the two countries needed to strengthen a “new regional order” and denounced “foreign interference.”

|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Iranian Shi'ite pilgrims walk along a road to enter Iraq through the Shalamcheh border crossing between Iran and Iraq to make their way to the holy city of Karbala to attend the Arbaeen pilgrimage, following US strikes on the Iranian side of the border crossing, in Basra, Iraq, July 23, 2026.

Iran plans to weaken Kurdish forces in Iraq to prevent disarmament of militias - analysis

Iran will use the militias to do whatever is necessary to preserve its role in Iraq, while also aiming to weaken its Kurdish rivals in the country.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

US resumes transfer of American currency to Iraq after Iran-related suspension - report

The report cited an Iraqi Kurdish official who attributed the measures as a response to the smuggling of US dollars by Iran-backed Iraqi militias.

JULY 2, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
An American $100 dollar bill.

Is a new insurgency brewing? Kurdish rebels clash with IRGC in major border escalation - analysis

Tasnim News, which is an IRGC-affiliated network, reported that “two members of Iran’s IRGC were killed and two others were injured in an ‘armed terrorist attack.'"

JUNE 30, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) run across a street in Raqqa, Syria, July 3, 2017.

Iraq launches sweeping anti-corruption crackdown, detains dozens of officials

Reports indicate that one Iraqi member of parliament, Alia Nassif, was found with some $15 million in cash in her house.

JUNE 30, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi speaks during a parliamentary session to vote in a new government headed by Ali al-Zaidi as prime minister, at the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, May 14, 2026.

Katz's position on Mossad's Kurds vs Iranian regime plan unclear after conflicting statements

Trump vetoed a Mossad plan to support Kurdish forces against Iran, fueling debate over which Israeli and US officials backed the proposal.

JUNE 29, 2026ByYONAH JEREMY BOB
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.

Middle East nears regional chaos again as Trump threatens Iran, Iraqi raids escalate tensions

The Jerusalem Post's must-listen news roundup with Shifra Jacobs—the top stories, clear and concise. 

JUNE 28, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST PODCASTS
TOPSHOT-IRAN-US-ISRAEL-WAR TOPSHOT - An woman walks past a billboard displaying Iran's national flag at Enghelab Square in Tehran on June 14, 2026. US President Donald Trump said that a deal with Iran to end the Middle East war could be signed on June 14, and that the strategic Strait of Hormuz woul

Iraqi security forces target political ‘corruption’ in Baghdad Green Zone raids

The Green Zone includes Baghdad's parliament building, various government institutions, and embassies, with many politicians also having residences in the area.

JUNE 28, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Security is stationed outside the US Embassy is seen in Baghdad's fortified "Green Zone" on March 17, 2026.

Iran's Araghchi heads to Iraq as rumors swirl in Baghdad over Green Zone raid

Iraq has been trying to rein in some Iranian-backed militias, with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi seeking to show that he can rein in chaos in the country.

JUNE 28, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives for a bilateral meeting with Switzerland's counterpart at the Burgenstock luxury hotel complex overlooking Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 21, 2026.

Will Iraq finally help protect Kurdistan's oil fields from drone attacks? - analysis

For Iraq, it doesn’t seem to matter if the Kurdistan Region is attacked, because then the region can’t sell oil or provide itself with gas for electricity.

JUNE 23, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) participate in a military drill in an outpost near Erbil, Kurdistan region of Iraq on January 15, 2026.

Iraq in transition: Baghdad pushes weapons monopoly amid reforms - analysis

Iraq’s new leadership is pledging state control over weapons, but questions remain over whether Baghdad can rein in powerful Iran-backed militias.

JUNE 21, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi speaks during a parliamentary session to vote in a new government at the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, May 14, 2026.

Voices from the Arab press: Elon Musk, the world's first trillionaire

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

JUNE 21, 2026ByTHE MEDIA LINE
ELON MUSK, SpaceX CEO speaks via videolink on the day of SpaceX’s IPO, at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York City, June 12.