Iraq

A second major report on the political surveillance scandal was quickly muted, in part because it was highly critical of Iranian Qods Force commander Esmail Qaani.

A low-profile Iraqi militia that is deeply linked with Iran's Qods Force and plays important roles in storing advanced conventional weapons provided by Tehran and suppressing Iraqi moderates.

UN officials should not be holding events hosted by Iraqi militia figures responsible for the deaths of protesters and other gruesome offenses, yet that is precisely what is happening under a new militia "human rights" bureau.

A longstanding partner to Iran's Qods Force and Lebanese Hezbollah, this militia is one of Iraq's most notorious in terms of human rights abuses and rampant criminality.

The new amendment has been met with concerns as it is believed to promote child marriage, raising the stakes of this proposed amendment and its potential implications.

Kirkuk’s future remains uncertain due to the lack of any consensus-based projects between the governorate’s political actors. Even if these longtime rivals find a way to participate in the local government, it is possible that a slight grievance could devolve into political deadlock.

For the sake of the Iraqi labor market and of developing domestic expertise in oil and gas management, the government should seek to become more attractive to major IOCs outside of the Chinese companies currently drawn in by its bids.

The self-styled Iraqi "resistance" has hinted at a desire to end the tit-for-tat sequence of strikes with the United States and return to cost-free counter-Israel operations.

A senior missile specialist from Yemen was killed alongside Iraqi members of Kataib Hezbollah, underlining the government's cooperation with domestic and foreign terrorist groups.