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Iraq

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Iraq. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Baghdad

Head of State

President Abdul Latif Rashid

Head of Government

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani

An Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Monday. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Casualty figures across the Middle East as Iran war enters second week

Since the launch of ‘Operation Epic Fury’, casualties have mounted across the region, with civilians in Iran and Lebanon bearing the brunt.

5 hours ago

US, Israel war on Iran

Where things stand after another weekend of war in the Middle East

9 Mar 2026 - 8:13PMvideocam

Middle East

Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader?

9 Mar 2026 - 7:54PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran strikes on desalination plants threaten Arab states’ water supplies

In Kuwait, about 90 per cent of drinking water comes from desalination, along with roughly 86 per cent in Oman and about 70 per cent in Saudi Arabia.

9 Mar 2026 - 10:22AMvideocam

Smoke rises from Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on March 1. Photo: Planet Labs PBC via AP

My Take

My Take | An America in decline will keep losing wars to weaker foes – including in Iran

When battles become a matter of choice rather than necessity or survival, US leaders have a preternatural ability to choose badly and undermine their own country.

9 Mar 2026 - 10:39AM

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump’s ‘feeling’-driven Iran war cops criticism for ‘arrogant’ messaging

The conflict started by the US president lacks clear rationale, stoking public opposition and economic concerns amid rising fuel prices.

7 Mar 2026 - 3:53PMvideocam

South Korea

Seoul’s missile shield vs Iranian barrage: the fight to protect UAE’s skies

Abu Dhabi wants faster Cheongung-II missile battery deliveries from Seoul amid 96 per cent interception success against Iranian attacks.

7 Mar 2026 - 3:15PMvideocam

A Cheongung-II surface-to-air missile is launched towards a simulated target during a drill in the Yellow Sea area in 2024. Photo: South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff

Australia

Opinion | Australia needs to make its stance on the Iran attacks known

By refusing to condemn these legally baseless strikes, the Albanese government risks choosing ‘might is right’ over the UN Charter.

7 Mar 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Disappointing’: Americans recall desperate, self-funded escapes from Mideast

‘Everyone’s been sending each other resources because, quite frankly, the US has not done a single thing in any capacity,’ a traveller says.

7 Mar 2026 - 11:35AMvideocam

Iran

How far could the war with Iran spread beyond the Middle East?

From Turkey and the Caucasus to South Asia, analysts warn the war could ignite new flashpoints along regional fault lines.

6 Mar 2026 - 6:29PMvideocam

The sun sets behind a plume of smoke from a US-Israeli military strike in Tehran, Iran, on Tuesday. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

A guide to how the Iran war has ricocheted across the Middle East and beyond

From sunken warships to closed airspaces, here is a country-by-country breakdown of the conflict’s impact so far.

5 Mar 2026 - 10:01AMvideocam

Exposing himself to the danger of unexploded ordnance, a boy tries to climb on an Iranian projectile that landed in an open field in the outskirts of Qamishli, eastern Syria. Photo: AP

Israel-Iran conflict

Turkey says missile launched from Iran destroyed by Nato

A Turkish official said the missile had been ‘aimed at a base in Greek Cyprus but veered off course’.

5 Mar 2026 - 12:40AM

US, Israel war on Iran

US and Kurds discuss potential Iran military operation: sources

The prospect of Kurdish groups operating inside Iran signals US consideration for a ground uprising.

4 Mar 2026 - 12:33PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Maritime mayhem: shipping firms halt Gulf routes amid regional military strikes

Rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz see vessels diverted and bookings suspended, as companies impose emergency fees of up to US$4,000 per unit.

4 Mar 2026 - 10:00AMvideocam

Cosco Shipping Lines has instructed all of its Persian Gulf-bound vessels to reduce speed, proceed to safe waters, or head to designated anchorages to await further notice amid regional disruptions. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war: France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier heads to the Mediterranean

Rafale fighter jets, air-defence systems and airborne radar systems have also been deployed in the Middle East.

4 Mar 2026 - 7:02AMvideocam

French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle sails in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Toulon in November 2024. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | US war on Iran isn’t likely to go as planned

US war planners have overlooked viewing their adversary through realpolitik in the past. They now face a far more organised opponent.

3 Mar 2026 - 9:50PMvideocam

Hong Kong transport

Over 580 Hongkongers stranded in Middle East and seeking help

Cathay Pacific has extended flight suspensions to Dubai and Riyadh until March 14.

4 Mar 2026 - 2:48AMvideocam

War and conflict

Editorial | Strikes on Iran may complicate US-China ties

No significant impact expected on China’s, or Hong Kong’s, economy from the most recent conflict in the Middle East.

3 Mar 2026 - 7:15AM

A missile launched from Iran is pictured in the sky from the Bureij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on March 1. Photo: AFP

China energy security

China faces oil squeeze after US-Israel strikes on Iran

Replacing discounted oil supplies from Iran would be a headache for China as Russia is already making up the loss of shipments from Venezuela.

2 Mar 2026 - 5:03PM

Cathay Pacific

432 Hongkongers stranded in Middle East and 47 flights cancelled

Cathay Pacific also suspends Dubai and Riyadh flights, as attacks force countries to close airspace.

2 Mar 2026 - 11:04PMvideocam

Pakistan

10 killed in Karachi as pro-Iran protests erupt across Pakistan, India

Security forces opened fire on protesters as they tried to storm the gates of the US consulate in Pakistan’s main port city.

2 Mar 2026 - 10:47AMvideocam

People attend the funeral of protesters killed outside the US consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday. Photo: EPA

US, Israel war on Iran

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: defiant Iranian leader’s rule ended by his enemies

The death of the 86-year-old cleric in a US-Israeli operation leaves a vacuum at the heart of the Islamic Republic.

1 Mar 2026 - 8:11PMvideocam

Iran

Iran ‘internationalises battlefield’ as missiles put Gulf in firing line

Iranian strikes targeting American allies in the Middle East could bolster Arab rulers’ support for US-Israeli military operation.

1 Mar 2026 - 4:36PMvideocam

US-Iran tensions

Airspace closed, flights cancelled amid US-Israel-Iran conflict

Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Syria and the UAE all announced at least partial closures of their skies.

28 Feb 2026 - 11:04PMvideocam

Middle East

Missiles streak across Gulf skies as Iran responds to US-Israel attack

The sudden escalation in military operations has left many in the Middle East on edge.

28 Feb 2026 - 11:55PMvideocam

People watch from their balcony in Doha after Qatar’s defence ministry said it downed missiles targeting the country. Photo: Reuters

European Union

Opinion | Europe’s selective defence of the global order will sway no one

If Europe genuinely seeks to restore credibility to international law, it must first confront its own record of selective adherence.

18 Feb 2026 - 9:42PMvideocam

Australia

Australian citizen in Syria with alleged Isis ties banned from returning home

This is the first known use of a temporary exclusion order introduced in 2019 to prevent high-risk citizens from returning to Australia.

18 Feb 2026 - 8:16PM

Iran

Iran fires missiles, Khamenei threatens to sink US warship amid nuclear talks

As the talks began, local media announced that Iran had fired live missiles towards the Strait of Hormuz.

17 Feb 2026 - 10:54PMvideocam

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Iraq

Casualty figures across the Middle East as Iran war enters second week

Since the launch of ‘Operation Epic Fury’, casualties have mounted across the region, with civilians in Iran and Lebanon bearing the brunt.

Where things stand after another weekend of war in the Middle East

Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader?

Iran strikes on desalination plants threaten Arab states’ water supplies

In Kuwait, about 90 per cent of drinking water comes from desalination, along with roughly 86 per cent in Oman and about 70 per cent in Saudi Arabia.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}My Take | An America in decline will keep losing wars to weaker foes – including in Iran

When battles become a matter of choice rather than necessity or survival, US leaders have a preternatural ability to choose badly and undermine their own country.

Trump’s ‘feeling’-driven Iran war cops criticism for ‘arrogant’ messaging

The conflict started by the US president lacks clear rationale, stoking public opposition and economic concerns amid rising fuel prices.

Seoul’s missile shield vs Iranian barrage: the fight to protect UAE’s skies

Abu Dhabi wants faster Cheongung-II missile battery deliveries from Seoul amid 96 per cent interception success against Iranian attacks.

Opinion | Australia needs to make its stance on the Iran attacks known

By refusing to condemn these legally baseless strikes, the Albanese government risks choosing ‘might is right’ over the UN Charter.

‘Disappointing’: Americans recall desperate, self-funded escapes from Mideast

‘Everyone’s been sending each other resources because, quite frankly, the US has not done a single thing in any capacity,’ a traveller says.

How far could the war with Iran spread beyond the Middle East?

From Turkey and the Caucasus to South Asia, analysts warn the war could ignite new flashpoints along regional fault lines.

A guide to how the Iran war has ricocheted across the Middle East and beyond

From sunken warships to closed airspaces, here is a country-by-country breakdown of the conflict’s impact so far.

Turkey says missile launched from Iran destroyed by Nato

A Turkish official said the missile had been ‘aimed at a base in Greek Cyprus but veered off course’.

US and Kurds discuss potential Iran military operation: sources

The prospect of Kurdish groups operating inside Iran signals US consideration for a ground uprising.

Maritime mayhem: shipping firms halt Gulf routes amid regional military strikes

Rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz see vessels diverted and bookings suspended, as companies impose emergency fees of up to US$4,000 per unit.

Iran war: France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier heads to the Mediterranean

Rafale fighter jets, air-defence systems and airborne radar systems have also been deployed in the Middle East.

Opinion | US war on Iran isn’t likely to go as planned

US war planners have overlooked viewing their adversary through realpolitik in the past. They now face a far more organised opponent.

Over 580 Hongkongers stranded in Middle East and seeking help

Cathay Pacific has extended flight suspensions to Dubai and Riyadh until March 14.

Editorial | Strikes on Iran may complicate US-China ties

No significant impact expected on China’s, or Hong Kong’s, economy from the most recent conflict in the Middle East.

China faces oil squeeze after US-Israel strikes on Iran

Replacing discounted oil supplies from Iran would be a headache for China as Russia is already making up the loss of shipments from Venezuela.

432 Hongkongers stranded in Middle East and 47 flights cancelled

Cathay Pacific also suspends Dubai and Riyadh flights, as attacks force countries to close airspace.

10 killed in Karachi as pro-Iran protests erupt across Pakistan, India

Security forces opened fire on protesters as they tried to storm the gates of the US consulate in Pakistan’s main port city.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: defiant Iranian leader’s rule ended by his enemies

The death of the 86-year-old cleric in a US-Israeli operation leaves a vacuum at the heart of the Islamic Republic.

Iran ‘internationalises battlefield’ as missiles put Gulf in firing line

Iranian strikes targeting American allies in the Middle East could bolster Arab rulers’ support for US-Israeli military operation.

Airspace closed, flights cancelled amid US-Israel-Iran conflict

Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Syria and the UAE all announced at least partial closures of their skies.

Missiles streak across Gulf skies as Iran responds to US-Israel attack

The sudden escalation in military operations has left many in the Middle East on edge.

Opinion | Europe’s selective defence of the global order will sway no one

If Europe genuinely seeks to restore credibility to international law, it must first confront its own record of selective adherence.

Australian citizen in Syria with alleged Isis ties banned from returning home

This is the first known use of a temporary exclusion order introduced in 2019 to prevent high-risk citizens from returning to Australia.

Iran fires missiles, Khamenei threatens to sink US warship amid nuclear talks

As the talks began, local media announced that Iran had fired live missiles towards the Strait of Hormuz.

My Take | An America in decline will keep losing wars to weaker foes – including in Iran