The Latest Breaking News from Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi will resume his mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran before the Gulf-Arab-American summit in Jeddah later this month, revealed an informed Iraqi source on Sunday. The declaration of the restoration of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran is expected to be announced in Baghdad, it…

Exclusive: Pether, who has been imprisoned for 14 months in Baghdad, has become ‘gravely ill’ according to his family

US energy company Schlumberger has said it will not apply without Baghdad's consent for any tenders in the oil and gas sector of Iraq's Kurdistan region, according to a letter sent to the Iraqi oil minister and seen by Reuters. Schlumberger said it would comply with a February ruling by…

Head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party Massoud Barzani has expressed strong doubts about finding solutions to the outstanding crises between Baghdad and Erbil. Barzani discussed the political crisis with Iraq during the opening ceremony for a book exhibition that is part of Erbil's 'Barzan Revolutions' documentary project. The KDP president…

Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is working to establish two oil firms, the latest move in the battle between Erbil and Baghdad to control the oil sector in the semi-autonomous region. The KRG's new oil firm KROC would specialize in oil exploration, while the second - KOMO - would focus…

Five years ago, Iraqi taxi driver Osama Mohammed would make about six trips a day across Baghdad. Today, traffic is so bad he feels lucky to do three. "The first thing you see in the morning is traffic jams," said 40-year-old Mohammed, describing his "exhaustion" at the stop-and-go traffic he…

Iraq temporarily closed Baghdad airport Monday as choking clouds of dust blanketed the capital, the latest crippling sandstorm in a country that has warned climate change poses an "existential threat". It was the tenth such storm since mid-April to hit Iraq, which has been battered by intense droughts, soil degradation,…

The decision to cancel a concert by renowned Moroccan artist Saad Lamjarred in Baghdad has sparked a heated debate in Iraq over the country's civil or religious identity. The constitution defines Iraq as a civil state and defends its freedoms, but that has not stopped religious groups from intervening and…

Dad-of-two Jim Fitton, 66, was sentenced to 15 years on Monday after being found guilty of smuggling so-called "ancient artefacts" out of the country by a Baghdad court in Iraq

Dad-of-two Jim Fitton, 66, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Baghdad court in Iraq on Monday for trying to leave the country with "ancient fragments" and his family are due to appeal the ruling

Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi held talks in Baghdad on Monday with Egypt and Jordan’s Foreign Ministers Sameh Shoukry and Ayman al-Safadi. Discussions tackled trilateral relations and joint coordination to address regional and international challenges and developments. Upon their arrival in the Iraqi capital, Shoukry and…