Iraq News Wire

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Turkey hopes to finalize a comprehensive energy cooperation agreement with Iraq following discussions with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in Ankara. Erdogan said that Turkey’s state-owned oil and gas company, TPAO, will operate at Iraq’s Kirkuk oilfield, which is now being developed by British Petroleum (BP), during a joint press conference following a signing ceremony that had been expected to extend the Ki

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi oil exports to India fell in the first half of 2026, as Indian refineries diversified their crude import sources to minimize the geopolitical risks associated with shipping via the Straits of Hormuz. According to officials at Indian refining companies and the Indian Ministry of Petroleum, the goal of this measure is to improve supply security. The drop in Iraqi supplies to India comes at a time when the global oil market is under increased pressure due to se

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – A joint US-Saudi attack on targets in Iraq killed six Iranian advisors on Wednesday, according to two Iraqi officials who spoke to the Associated Press (AP). A meeting that was set for Thursday in Saudi Arabia between Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was called off due to recent attacks by armed groups targeting Saudi Arabia. Al-Zaidi ordered an emergency meeting of Iraq’s National Security Council following the coordina

Baghdad – US-Saudi strikes on Iraq killed at least 20 militants, including several Iranians, on Wednesday, according to the Hashed al-Shaabi, an armed Iraqi alliance that includes pro-Iran groups. The United States and Saudi Arabia said they had struck Iran-backed armed militants in Iraq in response to attacks on US forces and Saudi oil facilities. Washington and Tehran are Iraq’s main allies, but their enmity has long turned the country into a proxy battleground and left successive

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq condemned U.S.-Saudi airstrikes on Wednesday that targeted Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) sites, calling the attacks a violation of its sovereignty, and announced new measures to tighten state control over security and prevent Iraqi territory from being used to threaten neighboring countries. Following the attacks, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi presided over an emergency meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security, which the government said k

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Uptime Institute, based in the United States, and Iraqi digital infrastructure company Tech964 Holding Limited (T964) have formed a strategic partnership to help develop Iraq’s digital infrastructure, marking the latest technology agreement to result from Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s investment-focused visit to Washington. The agreement, signed earlier this month at the U.S.-Iraq Business Summit hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce, names T964 as U

San Francisco – ChatGPT maker OpenAI has revealed that an autonomous artificial intelligence agent which hacked a popular platform for computer programmers also attempted to breach four other companies during the incident. In an update late Tuesday to a blog post detailing its probe into the incident, OpenAI said its AI agent affected these “publicly-available services,” though it did not name the companies. The revelation broadens a cyber incident that OpenAI described as unpr

Hasakeh – At a desolate Syrian camp, home to thousands of displaced Kurds, Ahmad Oussi appealed for help to return to his hometown, seven years after a Turkish offensive drove him out. Residents of the Talaeh camp complain former Turkish-backed fighters are squatting in their properties in the Ras al-Ain area, around 70 kilometres (40 miles) away. “The factions are living in our homes,” Oussi, 26, complained. “We get calls from them telling us, ‘You can’t go b

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that US-Saudi airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq were carried out in coordination with the Iraqi government, a statement that, if confirmed, would represent a significant shift in Baghdad’s approach to powerful armed groups aligned with Tehran. In an interview with Fox News, Trump referred to Iran-backed militias in Iraq as “a cancer on the world” and stated that he is considering &#8220

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Prominent Iraqi figures, notably Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, have openly criticized Iran-backed militias for seeking to pull Iraq into a larger regional conflict by launching unlawful drone attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia. In a statement on X, al-Sadr strongly criticized the militias for their dangerous actions, which jeopardize the security of the Iraqi people. Al-Sadr’s remarks came after the United States and Saudi Arabia launched coordinated airst

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The United States dollar experienced a fresh wave of depreciation against the Iraqi dinar across the parallel exchange markets of Baghdad and Erbil during evening trading on Saturday, July 4, 2026. This downward correction occurred simultaneously with the closing of the regional financial bourses, extending a multi-day strengthening streak for the national currency. Financial analysts attribute this steady realignment to an influx of foreign currency supply and

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Justice announced on Saturday, July 4, 2026, the successful repatriation of over twenty-five million dollars in stolen state funds that had been illicitly smuggled out of the country over the past two years. Ministry officials emphasized that this milestone is part of a broader, aggressive asset-recovery campaign aimed at executing domestic judicial rulings abroad and reclaiming embezzled wealth, frozen bank accounts, and luxury real estat

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – A comprehensive market report published by Reuters reveals a sharp recovery and an expansive surge in Iraqi and Gulf crude oil exports during June, fueled directly by a diplomatic detente between the United States and Iran that resolved a severe maritime crisis paralyzing major shipping lanes. According to consolidated data monitored by international tanker-tracking firms Kpler, Vortexa, and LSEG models, the aggregate exports of the five major Gulf oil producer

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Justice announced on Saturday, July 4, 2026, the official release of 640 inmates from various correctional facilities across Baghdad and the provinces during June. The monthly census, compiled and verified by the Iraqi Correctional Department, reflects the government’s ongoing administrative efforts to expedite legal processing times and systematically manage detention capacities. According to the official statement received by th

Ankara – Along the highway from Ankara airport to the city centre, municipal workers have been planting flowers and installing giant billboards to shield views of dilapidated homes and poorer neighbourhoods. Ahead of a high-stakes NATO summit that begins Tuesday, the Turkish capital has had a facelift to burnish its image for the 32 heads of state who will fly in, among them US President Donald Trump. But the makeover and the strict security measures put in place — which will shut do

Praia – Applause erupted, drums began to beat and car horns honked: Cape Verde’s narrow loss to Argentina was cause for celebration early Saturday in Praia as the Blue Sharks’ World Cup dream run came to a sad but brilliant end. The African archipelago of just over 500,000 people progressed to the knockout stages in their first ever World Cup after drawing with European champions Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in the group stage. However after an epic last-32 contest in Miami

Tehran – Huge crowds of Iranians were expected to pay their final respects to supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday at the start of marathon funeral ceremonies intended to serve as a show of strength to the Islamic republic’s foes. Iranian authorities say they anticipate between 15 and 20 million participants in Tehran alone over the next three days for tributes to the man who ran the country for three-and-a-half decades. Six days of funeral ceremonies are planned to commemorate Kh

East Rutherford – Erling Haaland has feasted on defences throughout the World Cup, and Norway will need their talismanic striker at his ruthless best if they are to topple Brazil in Sunday’s last-16 clash. Haaland’s late winner against Ivory Coast — his fifth goal at the tournament — secured Norway’s first victory in a World Cup knockout game, marking a memorable return to the global stage after a 28-year absence. Now they are hoping to repeat their famous 199

Arlington – Hossam Abdelmaguid scored the winning penalty as Egypt made history by beating a dogged Australia 4-2 on penalties to reach the World Cup last 16 on Friday. A tense affair in which Egypt and their off-colour captain Mohamed Salah wasted the better chances had ended 1-1 after 120 minutes in Texas. Lionel Messi’s Argentina loom next for Egypt, as long as the reigning champions avoid a massive upset against tournament debutants Cape Verde in their last-32 encounter. “I

Philadelphia – France coach Didier Deschamps promised Friday his team would be able to adapt to the potential impact of extreme weather on their World Cup last-16 tie against Paraguay on Saturday as a brutal heatwave hits the northeastern United States. The sides are due to meet Saturday in Philadelphia, the same time as the city celebrates the 250th anniversary of American independence, and with weather warnings in place in the area due to the conditions. “We knew it would be very h