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 […]
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 new 'self-defense' mandate may formalize regionalization of Iran War Baghdad has granted its armed forces, including the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), wider powers to respond in "self-defense" to ongoing bombings of their […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) has extended the closure of Iraqi airspace to all arriving, departing and transit aircraft until 12:00 noon on Friday, 10th April. The authority said the decision was taken as a temporary and precautionary measure, based on an ongoing assessment of the security situation and in light […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Commission of Integrity has reported preserving more than IQD 837 billion (USD 640 million) and USD 551 million during 2025 as part of its anti-corruption activities. In its annual report, the commission outlined a rise in investigative, legal, and preventive actions aimed at protecting public funds and preventing waste. Key enforcement and […]
By John Lee. Al-Monitor has confirmed that the American journalist kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday was Shelly Kittleson, an Al-Monitor contributor. Ms Kittleson, a freelancer, has also reported for BBC World Service, Politico, Foreign Policy and others. A statement from Iraq's Ministry of Interior said that a foreign journalist has been kidnapped by unidentified individuals, […]
