#iraq

#iraq

Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the continued malicious drone attacks launched from Iraq towards Bahrain and several Gulf Cooperation Council countries, calling on Baghdad to address these threats and attacks urgently and responsibly.

What America and Israel are doing in their aggression against the countries of the region is not a war of a military nature, but a senseless war, said Dhirgham Samir, a demonstrator in his 40s.

Iraq have ended a 30-year wait for an appearance at the FIFA World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Bolivia in the final of the playoff tournament in Mexico.

Iraq is under attack from all sides as militias and foreign powers clash, leading to a significant escalation in violence and instability within the region.

The airstrike constituted 'heinous aggression,' to which Iraq reserved 'the right to respond by all available means,' said Sabah al-Numan, a spokesman for the commander of Iraq's armed forces.

Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's office announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would deliver formal notes of protest to the US charge d'affaires and the Iranian ambassador over recent strikes on Iraqi territory.

A drone targeted the headquarters of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service in the Mansour district at about 10am local time, resulting in the death of one police officer.

Syrian government forces entered areas of northeastern Syria over the weekend, in a move to expand its territorial control over the country, driving away Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters who held the territory. IS fighters and their families were being held in prisoner camps overseen by the SDF, but as the Syrian army advance, the SDF said it had to abandon their post at northeastern al-Hol camp, holding mostly women and children, and al-Aqtan prison for IS fighters.

Haybat al-Halbousi, from the Taqaddum (Progress) Party, has been elected as speaker of the new parliament. Iraq's newly elected parliament has chosen Haybat al-Halbousi as its speaker, a significant step in the formation of the new government after months of political turmoil. Iraqi media reported on Monday, citing parliament's media office, that al-Halbousi, from the Taqaddum (Progress) Party, had received 208 votes, in a clear victory over two rival contenders with 66 and nine votes, respectively.

Who will be the prime minister is only one issue, although it is top of mind for incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who had his powers clipped in November by the Federal Supreme Court (FSC), making his government a caretaker. As he scrambles for new alliances to compensate for a fractured electoral bloc, al-Sudani will also need to prove he can steer the country through a complicated domestic and international position.

The House passed legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Iraq Authorizations for Use of for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in a bipartisan vote on Wednesday, moving against two pieces of legislation that have vastly expanded the president's ability to use military force in the U.S.'s "forever wars" in the Middle East. The amendment to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed easily in a 261 to 167 vote.

Iraqi and Lebanese intelligence agencies coordinated to discover and destroy one of Lebanon's largest drug factories making the highly addictive amphetamine Captagon.

The al-Khasfa site, believed to be a mass grave left by ISIL, may contain at least 4,000 remains and potentially thousands more.

At least one police officer was killed and 14 fighters detained after a gun battle erupted in Iraq's capital with members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a state-sanctioned paramilitary umbrella that includes groups loyal to Iran.

Some 43 Iraqi citizens were deported from Germany on a charter flight to Baghdad, as part of the government's enforcement of tougher migration policies. The Ministry of Justice of Thuringia stated that those deported were primarily "single men" who were required to leave and included individuals with previous criminal convictions.

Explosive-laden drones struck three oil fields in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, forcing temporary shutdowns. This is the fifth site targeted in one week.

The U.S. has decided to partially evacuate its embassy in Iraq, moving nonessential staff amid rising tensions with Iran, indicating potential escalating conflict.

Latif al-Ani's journey across Iraq reflects a quest to reconnect with the beauty of a country transformed by decades of war, capturing its essence through his past photographs.