By John Lee. According to Reuters, two tankers entered the Persian Gulf on Wednesday en route to Iraq: The Alicia, capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil, is reportedly heading to Iraq to load a cargo on Thursday; The Malta-flagged Agios Fanourios I is said to be heading to Iraq to load Basra crude […]
By John Lee. Rewards for Justice (RFJ), the US Department of State's national security rewards program, has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information on the leader of Kata'ib Hizballah (KH), Ahmad al-Hamidawi. The Department of State designated al-Hamidawi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in 2020. Full statement from Rewards […]
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. While under attack, Iran's Iraqi allies also see chance for newfound power With Israeli-US intentions in Iraq as opaque as their aims in Iran, the potential for further destabilization in the former remains […]
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Baghdad's authority in question after US journalist's capture and release Seen by observers as an acute security failure, the abduction of Shelly Kittleson has also complicated already fraught relations between Iraq and the […]
By David Schenker for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq Is at Another Crossroads with Iran-Backed Militias -- and Washington Although U.S. officials should keep pushing Baghdad to move against these groups, the Iran […]
By Steven Simon and Adam Weinstein, for Foreign Policy. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The Iran War Is Exposing Iraq's Weaknesses Baghdad doesn't control much of its own territory. Click here to read the full article (subscription required).
By John Lee. Proton VPN has reported a sharp increase in usage in Iraq, with free signups rising by more than 1,200 percent following a disruption to Telegram services. According to General Manager David Peterson, via X, the spike in registrations on 4th April was linked to a local outage or possible restriction affecting the […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) announced the reopening of Iraq's airspace and the resumption of civil aviation operations on Wednesday, following an improvement in security conditions. All civilian flights, including overflights, departures, and arrivals at Iraqi airports, are now permitted to resume in line with approved regulations and safety procedures. Joint Operations […]
By John Lee. [Update, 8th April: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) confirmed the release of Ms Kittleson on 7th April.] Associated Press reports that American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped in Baghdad on 31 March, has been released. The release followed a statement by the Iran-aligned Kata'ib Hizbollah militia, which said it had […]
By John Lee. In a significant development, Iraq has confirmed cooperation with Iran to allow the passage of Iraqi oil through the Strait of Hormuz, following high-level discussions in Baghdad on Sunday. Iraq's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, expressed his appreciation for allowing tankers carrying Iraqi oil to pass through the Strait, noting the […]
By Alisha Chhangani, for the Atlantic Council. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Inside Tehran's toll booth There is a lot of attention right now on how Iran is managing access to the Strait of Hormuz -- operating a kind of […]
By John Lee. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on the Iraqi authorities to do everything in their power to secure the immediate release of Shelley Kittleson, the American freelance journalist who was abducted in Baghdad on Tuesday. The IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "We demand the immediate and unconditional release of […]
