28

Aug

Iran says Iraq has agreed to disarm and relocate Kurdistan militants

Iran and Iraq have reached an agreement that "armed terrorist groups" in Iraq's Kurdistan region will be disarmed and relocated next month, Iran's foreign ministry said on Monday. “An agreement…

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22

Jul

Iraq assures foreign diplomatic missions of their security 

(Reuters) - The Iraqi government sought to reassure diplomatic missions in the country of their security on Saturday, saying it would not allow a recurrence of the storming of the…

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20

Mar

Who has run Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion?

BAGHDAD, (Reuters) - The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was designed to pave the way for a thriving democracy but the mostly ineffective governments elected since 2003 have left many Iraqis…

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20

Mar

20th anniversary of the Iraq War: quotes from the conflict and its aftermath

At dawn on 20 March 2003, Operation Iraqi Freedom began with 295,000 US and allied troops invading Iraq across its border with Kuwait. 70,000 members of the Kurdish Peshmerga militia…

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18

Mar

U.S. grapples with forces unleashed by Iraq invasion 20 years later

Invasion led to diminished US influence in Mideast Toppling of Saddam emboldened Iran, unnerved Gulf Arabs Limit on US troop numbers enabled communal strife Islamic State filled vacuum left by…

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07

Mar

Pentagon chief makes unannounced trip to Iraq as 20-year anniversary of invasion nears

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced trip to Iraq on Tuesday in a visit an official said was aimed at showing that Washington was committed to keeping its…

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20

Nov

Turkish air strikes destroy 89 Kurdish militant targets in Syria, Iraq – ministry

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's defence ministry said on Sunday that 89 targets, including shelters and ammunition depots, were destroyed in air strikes on Kurdish militant bases in northern Iraq and…

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29

Sep

Rockets hit central Baghdad for second day in escalating unrest

BAGHDAD, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Four rockets fired from eastern Baghdad on Thursday landed around the Iraqi capital's Green Zone, home to government buildings and foreign missions, police said, as…

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01

Sep

Four killed as violent clashes move to Iraq’s southern Basra

BAGHDAD, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Four people were killed in clashes among rival Shi'ite Muslim militants in the southern Iraqi city of Basra that took place overnight and on Thursday…

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30

Aug

Deadly clashes rage in Baghdad in Shi’ite power struggle

Heavy clashes erupted in Baghdad, killing almost 20 people on Monday, after powerful Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said he would quit politics, prompting his loyalists to storm a government palace and fight…

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31

Jul

EXPLAINER-What’s driving the power struggle in Iraq?

BAGHDAD, July 31 (Reuters) - A power struggle in Iraq between the influential Shi'ite cleric Moqtada Sadr and Iran-backed Shi'ite rivals has escalated with his supporters breaking into parliament and beginning an…

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31

Jul

Sadr’s followers set up for long sit-in at Iraq parliament

BAGHDAD, July 31 (Reuters) - Supporters of Iraqi populist leader Moqtada al-Sadr erected tents and prepared for an open-ended sit-in at Iraq's parliament on Sunday, in a move that could prolong political…

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30

Jul

UPDATE – Supporters of Iraqi cleric Sadr storm Baghdad’s Green Zone again

BAGHDAD, July 30 (Reuters) - Thousands of supporters of Shi'ite populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stormed Baghdad's fortified government zone and broke into parliament on Saturday for the second time in a week,…

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28

Jul

Calm returns to Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone after storming of Parliament

Iraqi protesters retreated from the parliamentary building in central Baghdad early on Thursday morning after demonstrations against a candidate nominated by a group of Shiite parties. The protesters, mainly supporters…

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17

May

Iraq balks at greater Chinese control of its oilfields

Iraq's oil ministry thwarted three prospective deals last year that would have handed Chinese firms more control over its oilfields and led to an exodus of international oil majors that…

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18

Apr

Turkey says its warplanes hit Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq

Turkish warplanes, helicopters and drones hit Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq in an air and land operation that targeted facilities ranging from camps to ammunition stores, Turkey's defence ministry…

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26

Mar

Iraq parliament fails to elect new state president over lack of quorum

BAGHDAD, March 26 (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament failed again on Saturday to vote for a president after Iran-backed groups boycotted the session, in a setback to an alliance led by cleric Moqtada…

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13

Mar

Ballistic missiles hit Iraq’s Kurdish capital, U.S. blames Iran

ERBIL, Iraq, March 13 (Reuters) - A dozen ballistic missiles struck Iraq's northern Kurdish regional capital of Erbil in the early hours of Sunday, Kurdish authorities said, with a U.S. official blaming…

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12

Mar

New Islamic State leader is brother of slain caliph Baghdadi

The new leader of Islamic State, whose appointment the group announced on Thursday, is the brother of slain former caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, according to two Iraqi security officials and…

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04

Feb

Islamic State’s status in Iraq and Syria after the loss of second leader in two years

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The death of its second leader in just over two years has dealt another blow to Islamic State, the extremist jihadist group which once ruled large parts…

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02

Feb

Turkish warplanes hit Kurdish militant targets in Iraq, Syria

ISTANBUL, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Turkish warplanes hit Kurdish militants targets, including training camps, shelters and ammunition storage areas in Iraq and northern Syria, the Turkish Defence Ministry said on…

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09

Dec

Biden nominates Ambassadors for Malta, Kenya and Iraq

U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced the nomination of former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Margaret Whitman as ambassador to Kenya, a key partner for Washington on issues including counterterrorism. Whitman,…

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26

Nov

Two planes bring more migrants back to Iraq from Belarus

ERBIL, Iraq, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Two flights brought hundreds of Iraqis who had sought to enter the European Union back to Iraq from Belarus on Friday, as more migrants…

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09

Nov

Iran-backed militia staged drone attack on Iraqi PM – officials

A drone attack that targeted the Iraqi prime minister on Sunday (November 7) was carried out by at least one Iran-backed militia, Iraqi security officials and militia sources said, weeks after pro-Iran…

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07

Nov

Iraqi PM safe after drone attack on residence, military says

BAGHDAD, Nov 6 (Reuters) - A drone laden with explosives targeted the residence of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in Baghdad early on Sunday in what the Iraqi military called…

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13

Oct

Oil prices unlikely to rise further, says Iraqi oil minister

Oil prices, which hit their highest in years recently, are unlikely to rise further, Iraqi Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar told an energy conference in Moscow on Wednesday. Last week,…

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12

Oct

Cleric Sadr wins Iraq vote, former PM Maliki close behind – official

Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's party was the biggest winner in an Iraqi election on Monday, increasing the number of seats he holds in parliament, according to initial results, officials…

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11

Oct

Iraqi forces capture deputy of IS slain leader Baghdadi – PM

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iraq has captured Sami Jasim, a high-ranking member of Islamic State in charge of the group's finance and a deputy of slain leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Prime…

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10

Oct

Iraqis vote in general election, a test for democratic system

BAGHDAD (Reuters) -Iraqis were voting on Sunday in a general election many said they would boycott, having lost faith in the democratic system brought in by the U.S. invasion of…

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13

Sep

Iraqi PM becomes first foreign leader to meet Iran’s Raisi

(Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi became the first foreign leader on Sunday to visit and meet with Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi since the hardliner took office in August.…

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05

Sep

Islamic State attack kills 10 policemen near Iraq’s Kirkuk

Islamic State militants killed 10 Iraqi policemen and wounded four during an overnight attack on a guard post near the city of Kirkuk, police sources said on Sunday. Police sources…

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28

Aug

Mideast leaders plus France meet in Baghdad to talk security, diplomacy

Several Middle Eastern leaders and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Baghdad on Saturday at a summit hosted by Iraq, which wants its neighbours to talk to each other instead…

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10

Aug

EU hopes suspension of Iraq flights will slow migrant stream to Lithuania

The European Union hopes for a stabilization of the migrant situation in Lithuania after Iraq suspended flights from Baghdad to Minsk, a spokesman for the bloc's executive said on Tuesday. "We are pleased…

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27

Jul

After 18 years, US to announce exit from Iraq

U.S. President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Monday sealed an agreement formally ending the U.S. combat mission in Iraq by the end of 2021, more than 18 years after…

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20

Jul

Suicide attack in Iraq kills at least 35

A suicide bomber killed at least 35 people and wounded dozens in a crowded market in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad on Monday, the eve of the Eid al-Adha…

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13

Jul

At least 44 killed, 67 injured in coronavirus hospital fire in Iraq

At least 44 people were killed and over 67 injured in a fire likely caused by an oxygen tank explosion at a coronavirus hospital in Iraq's southern city of Nassiriya, health officials and…

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29

Jun

Blinken: ‘Untenable’ for 10,000 IS fighters still to be held in Syria

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that 10,000 Islamic State fighters continue to be held in detention in camps run by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF),…

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28

Jun

U.S. carries out air strikes against Iran-backed militia in Iraq, Syria

The United States said on Sunday it carried out another round of air strikes against Iran-backed militia in Iraq andSyria, this time in response to drone attacks by the militia against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq. In a statement, the U.S. military said it…

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27

Jun

‘Arab Alliance’ meets in Iraq in first visit in decades for an Egyptian leader

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and Jordan's King Abdullah met in Baghdad on Sunday during the first visit by an Egyptian head of state to…

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25

Apr

At least 82 die in Baghdad COVID hospital fire – Interior Ministry

BAGHDAD (Reuters) -A fire sparked by an oxygen tank explosion killed at least 82 people and injured 110 at a hospital in Baghdad that had been equipped to house COVID-19…

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20

Apr

Iran welcomes Iraqi mediation with Gulf states – ambassador

Iran said on Tuesday it welcomes Iraqi mediation to help mend its ties with Gulf Arab states, following reports that Saudi and Iranian officials had held discussions in Iraq. The remarks by the Iranian ambassador…

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08

Apr

Britain carried out several air strikes against ISIS in northern Iraq

Britain carried out several air strikes against Islamic State (IS) or ISIS militants in northern Iraq last month as part of a coordinated 10-day operation with local ground forces, the…

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31

Mar

Iraq, Saudi Arabia sign five agreements during Kadhimi’s visit to Riyadh – Al Arabiya

Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed five agreements on Wednesday during a visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to Riyadh, the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV channel reported.  Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince…

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09

Mar

Why Pope Francis’s historic trip to Iraq was a mission of peace over politics

Pope Francis’s historic trip to Iraq, including visits to the war-torn north, has been deeply significant. It is one that needs to be seen in the context of peace rather…

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08

Mar

UPDATED: Pope ends historic visit to Iraq

Pope Francis ended his historic tour of Iraq on Monday, departing by plane from Baghdad after visiting conflict-torn cities, meeting Muslim and Christian leaders and preaching peace and coexistence over…

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07

Mar

‘Peace more powerful than war’, Pope Francis says in Iraq’s ruined city of Mosul

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Pope Francis heard Muslim and Christian residents in the ruined Iraqi city of Mosul tell of their lives under brutal Islamic State rule on Sunday, blessing…

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07

Mar

Photo Story: Scenes from the Pope’s visit to regions of Iraq once held by ISIS

A collection of photos from the visit on Sunday by Pope Francis, on a historic trip to Iraq, in Mosul to encourage the binding of sectarian wounds and to pray…

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07

Mar

Pope Francis visits regions of Iraq once held by ISIS

Pope Francis is visiting parts of northern Iraq that were held by ISIS militants on the third day of his historic trip to the country. Militants overran the region in…

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06

Mar

Pope decries violence in the name of God as ‘greatest blasphemy’

UR, Iraq, March 6 (Reuters) - Pope Francis walked down a narrow alleyway in the holy city of Najav to hold a historic meeting with Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric and…

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06

Mar

Pope Francis meets Iraq’s top Shi’ite cleric, visits birthplace of Prophet Abraham

UR, Iraq (Reuters) - Pope Francis entered a narrow alleyway in Iraq's holy city of Najaf to hold a historic meeting with the county's top Shi'ite cleric and visited the…

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05

Mar

Pope urges Iraqis to shun past violence and give peace a chance

BAGHDAD, March 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, making the first trip by a pontiff to Iraq, made an impassioned call on Friday for an end to the militant violence, fratricide…

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05

Mar

UPDATE – Pope Francis leaves Rome to start historic pilgrimage in Iraq

ROME, March 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis left Rome on Friday to start a four-day trip to Iraq, his most risky foreign trip since his election in 2012 and the first visit by…

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03

Mar

Pope says he must go to Iraq because people cannot be let down

Pope Francis said on Wednesday he is going to Iraq, where his predecessor John Paul was not allowed to go in 2000, because “the people cannot be let down for…

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03

Mar

Rockets land at Iraqi air base hosting U.S., coalition forces

Several rockets landed on Wednesday at Iraq's Ain al-Asad air base that hosts United States, coalition and Iraqi forces, two security sources said. No casualties have been reported so far,…

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02

Mar

Five injured in Baghdad protest ahead of Pope visit to Iraq

BAGHDAD, March 1 (Reuters) - At least five people were injured on Monday when Iraqi security forces wielding clubs broke up a street protest in Baghdad's central Tahrir Square, security…

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01

Mar

Pope’s risky trip to Iraq defies sceptics

Rockets have hit Iraqi cities and COVID-19 has flared,yet, barring last-minute changes, Pope Francis will embark on a whirlwind four-day trip starting on Friday to show solidarity with the country’s…

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27

Feb

Pope’s visit to Iraqi Ziggurat to bring together several faiths

Pope Francis is due to hold an inter-religious prayer service at the ancient Mesopotamian site of Ur when he visits Iraq next week - an event local archeologists hope will…

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