Iraq

Iraq PM Sudani Claims Election Win after Early Results Show Decisive Lead

Incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani claimed victory for his coalition on Wednesday in Iraq's general election after preliminary results showed it had secured a decisive lead. Supporters of Sudani, who is vying for a second term, flocked late in the evening to Tahrir Square in Baghdad to celebrate with fireworks and music, ...

Iraq's Sudani Secures 'Major Victory' in General Election: Sources Close to PM

The list backing incumbent Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has scored a big win in parliament after elections, sources close to his alliance told AFP on Wednesday. Sudani's "Reconstruction and Development list has secured a major victory" following the vote on Tuesday, an official close to the premier told AFP. Another two sources ...

Iraqi Voters Turn Out in Numbers as Region Watches On

Iraqis voted for a new parliament Tuesday, with an unexpectedly high turnout of more than 55 percent, at a pivotal time for the country and the wider region. Iraq, which has long been vulnerable to proxy wars and is closely watched by Iran and the United States, has recently regained a sense of stability. But, even as it tries to move past two ...

Tehran Fights for Its Political Survival in Iraq

Officially, the elections are hailed as a step forward for a country still scarred by two decades of war and instability. In reality, the vote unfolds under the persistent shadow of Iran, determined to preserve a political system it has largely shaped since Saddam Hussein’s fall in 2003. Outgoing Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani owes his ...

Iraqis Vote in General Election at a Crucial Regional Moment

Iraqis began voting for a new parliament on Tuesday at a pivotal time for the country and the wider region, in an election that both Iran and the United States will be closely watching. Iraq, which has long been a fertile land for proxy wars, has only recently regained a sense of stability, as it tries to move past decades of war since the US-led ...

What Next After Iraq's General Election?

Iraqis head to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new parliament for a four-year term in a vote that will be closely watched in Washington and Tehran. Here is a look at what could come next and what the regional impact could be.  What happens after the vote?  Iraq's Supreme Court must first ratify the election results. Two weeks later, the ...

Elections in Iraq: Youth Divided

As Iraq heads to parliamentary elections on November 11, the nation’s youth is divided between boycotting and voting. Some heed Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr’s call to abstain, citing corruption and failing public services. Others see casting a ballot as a civic duty, fueled by hopes for change. Closely watched by Iran, the election could reshape ...

From Baghdad to Russia: A Deadly Bet

Smiling broadly and clad in military fatigues, young Iraqi Mohammed Imad's last TikTok post was in a field carved up with heavy vehicle tracks in what appeared to be Ukraine. Smoke was rising behind him. "Pray for me," read the caption next to a Russian flag. That was in May. Months went by without a word, only rumors. Mohammed had been taken ...

Iran Banking on Iraq Vote to Retain Regional Influence

Iraq will hold parliamentary elections on November 11, with analysts saying Iran will be watching closely as it hopes to retain influence over its neighbor after losing regional leverage during the Gaza war. The past two years have seen Iran-backed groups including Palestinian militants Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Huthis in Yemen suffer ...

Saddi Warns Lebanon 'cannot bear any additional debt'

Energy and Water Minister Joe Saddi defended his ministry’s energy policy, stressing that Lebanon “has nothing to hide” and is working to stabilize electricity production despite severe financial and technical constraints. In an interview with LBCI, Saddi said that public institutions in the South, including Electricity of Lebanon (EDL) and ...

Assassination Casts Dark Cloud over Iraqi Elections

In the early hours of October 15, an IED tore through a Chevy Tahoe in Baghdad’s northern outskirts, killing Safaa al-Mashhadani, a candidate in Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections. Three days later, gunmen opened fire on the office of another candidate, Muthanna al-Azzawi, 25 kilometers south of the Iraqi ...

Iraqi Parliamentary Candidate Killed Near Baghdad

An Iraqi parliamentary candidate was killed and three of his bodyguards wounded when a bomb exploded near his car north of Baghdad, a security source said. The incident is the first killing of a candidate ahead of Iraq's parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 11. "A bomb exploded under the vehicle of Safaa al-Mashhadani, a current ...