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. [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. 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 […]
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, […]
By John Lee. Iraq and the United States have agreed to establish a High Joint Coordination Committee to strengthen bilateral cooperation across security, political and economic areas. The decision was announced following the committee's first meeting on Thursday. Both sides agreed to intensify coordination to prevent terrorist attacks and ensure that Iraqi territory is not […]
By Michael Eisenstadt and Assaf Orion, 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. Military Options for Reopening the Strait of Hormuz: Limitations and Imperatives Loosening Tehran's grip on the strait and its disruption of the […]
By Guest Blogger. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. You Bought Iraqi Dinars. Now What? You made the purchase some time ago -- maybe a few years back, maybe longer. You heard the pitch: Iraq sits on some of the world's largest […]
By Guest Blogger. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's Payroll Cliff: Why the Dinar Can't Be Your Retirement Plan For two decades, promoters of the Iraqi dinar as an investment have pointed to the country's oil wealth and whispered of an […]
By John Lee. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed the loss of a U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft during operations over Iraq. According to a statement issued on 12th March 2026, the incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury and involved two aircraft. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, […]
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Deep Dive: Mounting regional confrontation chokes Iraq's energy lifelines Iraq is in crisis as a nationwide oil and gas production shutdown has put the future of the country's economy in flux. This comes […]
By John Lee. Chevron has received approval from Iraq's Council of Ministers for the final terms and conditions of a framework agreement with the Ministry of Oil concerning the management and operation of the West Qurna 2 oil field. According to the Prime Minister's Office, the agreement is between the Ministry of Oil, represented by […]
By Marsin Alshamary and Hamzeh Hadad, for The Brookings Institution. The opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq must not be a staging ground for war with Iran The United States should not take Iraq's stability for granted. The full report can be […]
