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Iraq

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Two drones targeted the Ain al-Asad air base in Western Iraq that houses U.S. and other international forces, though there were reportedly no casualties, Reuters reported on July 17.

U.S., Iraq: Two Drones Attack Ain al-Asad Air Base in Western Iraq

The U.N. Security Council unanimously extended the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, or UNAMI, for a final time to Dec. 31, 2025, Anadolu Agency reported on May 31.

Iraq: U.N. Security Council Extends Iraq Mission Mandate to December 2025

Turkey

Turkish security forces detained the pro-Kurdish mayor of Turkey's southeastern Hakkari province, Mehmet Siddik Akis, over his alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, Reuters reported on May 3.

Turkey: Security Forces Arrest Pro-Kurdish Mayor Over Alleged PKK Links

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Israel-Hamas Conflict

Arab leaders began to arrive in Manama, Bahrain, on May 15, for the 33rd Arab League summit that will focus on developing a consensus on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, The National reported the next day.

MENA: Arab League Summit To Formalize Conditions for Gaza Reconstruction

Social Issues

Iraq's National Assembly passed the conservative Shiite-backed Law on Combating Prostitution and Homosexuality, which criminalizes same-sex relationships punishable by 10-15 years in prison, punishes transgender individuals and doctors who provide gender-affirming surgeries, and mandates at least seven years in prison for anyone promoting homosexuality or prostitution, Al Jazeera reported on April 27.

Iraq: Baghdad Criminalizes Same-Sex Relationships, Gender-Affirming Surgeries, Prostitution

Iran

Energy

A drone attack targeted the Emirati-operated Khor Mor gas field in Iraqi Kurdistan in the Sulaymaniyah district, killing four Yemeni workers, Reuters reported on April 27.

Iraq: Unclaimed Drone Attack Hits the Khor Mor Gas Field in Iraqi Kurdistan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Iraq for the first time in 13 years culminated in the signing of 26 agreements, including a multilateral memorandum of understanding between the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey and Iraq for the Development Road project, Anadolu Agency reported on April 23.

Turkey, Iraq: Erdogan's Iraq Visit Yields Development and Security Agreements

Iranian-backed Iraqi militants fired five rockets at the Kharab al-Jir U.S. military base in Syria from Zummar, Iraq, Reuters reported on April 21.

Iraq, Syria: Iraqi Militias Carry Out First Attacks on U.S. Forces Since Early February

Assessments

A media department run by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is seen inside a mountain north of Iraq's Dohuk province in June 2013.

The offensive will seek to eliminate the threat posed by Kurdish militants near the Gara region, but fears of international backlash will deter Turkey from expanding its efforts into other areas of Iraq or Syria.

What To Make of Turkey's Renewed Offensive in Northern Iraq

Media

Podcasts

What do organizations need to know as this relationship evolves? 

Essential Geopolitics: What to Know About the Future of Turkey-Iraq Relations

The Jordanian flag. Jordan will remain aligned with the United States and Israel, which will result in a heightened risk of attacks by Iranian proxies and growing risks of radicalization.

U.S.-Iran Relations

Jordan will remain aligned with the United States and Israel, which will result in a heightened risk of attacks by Iranian proxies and growing risks of radicalization.

Jordan's Alignment With Israel Will Put It in Iran's Crosshairs

Iran's large missile and drone attack will prompt an Israeli retaliation that will focus on reestablishing deterrence and preventing future similar attacks on Israel, but in doing so, Israel risks expanding the conflict, further sinking the region into turmoil and possibly dragging in the United States.

How Israel Might Respond to the Iranian Attack

Indonesia

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with its Crew Dragon capsule launches from Launch Complex 39A during Axiom's third private mission at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 18, 2024.

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: A Vote in Indonesia, U.S.-Iraq Military Negotiations and a U.S. Moon Mission

A woman holding an Iranian flag poses in front of an anti-U.S. mural on a wall of the former U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, on Nov. 4, 2023. 

While Iran appears to be pressing its regional proxies to suspend their attacks on U.S. troops, Tehran's continued support of such groups will still make it harder to find a path toward peace with Washington.

Iran-U.S. Tensions Will Remain High, Despite Both Sides' Desire To Avoid a War

Chad

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Chile

Japan

A man holds a handout in support of Chile’s proposed new constitution on Dec. 6, 2023, in Santiago.

The Weekly Rundown: A Japan-ASEAN Summit, Constitutional Referendums in Chile and Chad

Students from the American University of Beirut (AUB) rally in support of Palestinians outside the main gate of the university in the Lebanese capital on Oct. 9, 2023. 

Israel's likely ground invasion in Gaza will alienate many Muslims in the Middle East, pressuring their governments to respond in support of Palestinians.

Gauging the Regional Response to the Gaza Conflict

A worker surveys a stack of empty oil drums as he brings another to add to it at a warehouse in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 6, 2004.

An arbitration court's ruling will give Iraq's federal government significant leverage over the Kurdistan Regional Government's future oil policy.

Baghdad Wins the Tug-of-War Over Kurdish Oil. What's Next?

Angola

Mozambique

Republic of the Congo

Europe

Cyprus

Italy

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Russia

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (2nd L) and Libya's Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah (3rd L) attend an agreement-signing ceremony between Italian multinational oil and gas company Eni and the Libyan National Oil Corporation in Tripoli, Libya, on Jan. 28, 2023.

As Europe turns away from Russian energy, Italy positions itself as a natural gas conduit between the Continent and Africa.

With Energy Deals in Africa, Italy Positions Itself as Europe's Next Gas Hub

The Kawergosk oil refinery in Iraqi Kurdistan is seen at sunset. 

Kurdish leaders' potential inclusion in the next Iraqi government could improve Baghdad's relations with the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, but tensions over oil exports will likely still worsen.

An Opening Emerges for Cooperation Between Iraq's Federal and Kurdish Leaders

Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr gather outside the headquarters of the Iraqi government in Baghdad's Green Zone on Aug. 29, 2022. 

The episode will add greater impetus among stakeholders in Iraq, including Iran, to resolve the country's nearly year-long political crisis. But in the meantime, more militia violence and unruly protests are likely.

What to Make of the Bloody Clashes in Baghdad 

<p>Iraq rests at the heart of the Middle East, wedged between large and small powers alike. The country is divided into three topographic zones: the riverlands of Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; the western and southern deserts, which reach into Saudi Arabia and Syria; and the highlands of Iraqi Kurdistan. The southern deserts shield Iraq from attack, while the northern highlands impede any attempt at conquest from Anatolia. But the open Syrian Desert provides a route into Iraq from Syria, especially along the Euphrates River, and the country&rsquo;s eastern frontier has few natural barriers to prevent invasion from Iran. The flat riverlands are similarly vulnerable to incursion from any power able to land an army from the Persian Gulf. Historically, foreign forces have used these routes as a means to penetrate Iraq&rsquo;s borders. In premodern times, Iraq&rsquo;s wealth came from its agricultural core, which forms the heart of the Fertile Crescent and stretches to the Persian Gulf. The country&rsquo;s 37 million people are still mostly concentrated in these farmlands today. But the discovery of oil in the north, east and south have shifted Iraq&rsquo;s economic core from the agricultural riverlands to the northern highlands and the Iranian border, bringing prosperity to cities such as Mosul, Arbil and Kirkuk. For most of its history, Iraq has been dominated by its neighbors, which have left behind unique cultural, religious and ethnic legacies. The Sunni Ottoman Turks and the Shiite Safavid Persians helped produce the country&rsquo;s modern Sunni and Shiite communities, while the sparsely inhabited western desert continues to have tribal and sectarian links to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria. Some of these groups have kept their relationships with Iraq&rsquo;s neighbors, which leverage those ties for their own strategic purposes. Meanwhile, in Iraq&rsquo;s northern highlands, the indigenous Kurds have managed to maintain a cohesive identity throughout centuries of foreign domination. This isolation occasionally gives rise to Kurdish secessionism. As the northern highlands drift further from the central government&rsquo;s control, the Sunni, Shiite, Christian and other communities of the riverlands and deserts jockey with one another for dominance of the state. Iraq&rsquo;s geographic challenge is therefore to protect its vulnerable oil fields while managing a diverse population that is susceptible to external influence.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., Iraq: Two Drones Attack Ain al-Asad Air Base in Western Iraq

Iraq: U.N. Security Council Extends Iraq Mission Mandate to December 2025

Turkey: Security Forces Arrest Pro-Kurdish Mayor Over Alleged PKK Links

MENA: Arab League Summit To Formalize Conditions for Gaza Reconstruction

Iraq: Baghdad Criminalizes Same-Sex Relationships, Gender-Affirming Surgeries, Prostitution

Iraq: Unclaimed Drone Attack Hits the Khor Mor Gas Field in Iraqi Kurdistan

Turkey, Iraq: Erdogan's Iraq Visit Yields Development and Security Agreements

Iraq, Syria: Iraqi Militias Carry Out First Attacks on U.S. Forces Since Early February

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