Washington to boycott CF officials in new Iraqi government

The US is reportedly concerned with the presence of ‘pro-Iranian factions’ within Iraq’s parliament

Government formation in Iraq delayed over dispute in CF ranks

The political deadlock is the longest political crisis in Iraq's recent history, and has lasted for more than a year so far

CF agrees to early elections in Iraq to fulfill Sadr’s demands

Iraqi political factions have failed for nearly a year to form a government

Al-Sadr calls for national debate, CF accepts

Al-Sadr and his followers had boycotted a national dialogue session hosted by Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi last week

Saudi crown prince welcomes Iraqi CF leader for talks

The meeting comes two days after Iraq held a national dialogue session aimed at ending the ongoing political deadlock

CF and Al-Sadr supporters mobilize by the thousands in Iraq’s capital

Iraqi lawmakers have failed for nearly a year to form a government, in the longest political deadlock in the country's history

Sadrists and CF supporters set for counter-marches in Baghdad

Influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr earlier this week issued an ultimatum to judicial authorities to dissolve parliament by next week

Iraq’s CF leaders say they will form a government despite threats from Al-Sadr

The leader of the Sadrist movement gave the judiciary a one-week ultimatum to dissolve parliament

Private equity firms target arms companies as weapons sales boom

The ongoing war in Ukraine has created another boom in the defense industry, as the market created by the so-called War on Terror dries up

Major Turkish opposition party will not participate in upcoming elections

The HDP is Turkiye's third largest party in the national parliament, and reportedly has support from over 10 percent of the country's population

Erdogan behind 10 points ahead of May election: Polls

According to a poll conducted by Aksoy Research, the main opposition bloc is ahead with 43.5 percent, while Erdogan's AKP and the nationalist MHP is at just 37.8 percent

China to host Iran-GCC summit later this year: Report

Several details of the reconciliation deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia have leaked, including Riyadh agreeing to have Iran International 'tone down' critical coverage of the Islamic Republic

Earthquake damages in Turkiye exceed $100bn: UN

About 1.5 million people affected by the earthquake in Turkiye live in tents, while another 46,000 have been moved to container homes

Israeli Knesset renews ‘racist’ law banning Palestinian family unification

Knesset members said it was intended to prevent a gradual right of return for Palestinian refugees

Saudi Arabia deposits $5bn to central bank of Turkiye

The kingdom's minister of finance disclosed that the deposit will occur in December 2023

Top US general reaffirms occupation of Syria during visit

US planners continue to occupy northeastern Syria under the pretext of fighting ISIS

US-trained Afghan special forces recruited by Wagner Group in Ukraine: Report

The chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 continues to have ripple effects in Ukraine

In a US-China confrontation, West Asia will bow out

A significant increase in geopolitical and economic ties with China has offered West Asian states an alternative to the US, which has traditionally been the region's security guarantor.

Western states isolated in support of Ukraine war, unipolar world order: Poll

Respondents in China, India, and Turkiye said they prefer a quick end to the war even if Ukraine has to concede territory

Turkiye bombed Syria despite earthquake devastation: Kurdish official

This is the Turkish military’s first attack on Syria since the disaster struck both countries last week

UN official calls for dialogue to resolve Sinjar issue in Iraq

Hundreds of thousands of Yazidis still languish in IDP camps in poor conditions over eight years after suffering massacres and displacement due to KRG betrayal

Israeli army chief makes secret visit to Bahrain for US-organized summit

Bahrain is one of a handful of Arab states that have normalized ties with Tel Aviv

Israel’s ruling coalition party says ‘no pause’ to West Bank settlement expansion

Senior US officials recently pressured the Israeli PM to halt the expansion of illegal settlements as a means to reduce tensions in occupied Palestine

Oman signs four-year LNG deal with Chinese firm

LNG exports continue to play an outsize role in world energy markets in the wake of the Ukraine-Russia war and destruction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline

If US does not ‘keep its word,’ it will pay a price: Erdogan

The US put off the delivery of the F-35 jets to its NATO partner in July 2019 over “security concerns” pertaining to the Russian S-400 defense system

Two settlers critically injured in east Jerusalem shooting

The shooting came one day after ten Israelis were killed in a Palestinian operation which targeted a synagogue in east occupied Jerusalem’s Neve Yaakov settlement

UK Court to rule on controversial weapons sales to Saudi Arabia

A landmark case could finally determine the legality of Britain's arms trade to Saudi Arabia, which is fueling the war in Yemen.

Western sanctions against Iran send Iraqi economy reeling

New policies meant to prevent dollar transfers to sanctioned West Asian nations have sent the Iraqi currency spiraling

Europe’s gas emergency: A continent hostage to seller prices

Europe’s reliance on Russian gas imports has been upended by sanctions against Moscow. With few options for practical alternatives, the continent will remain energy-dependent and financially-vulnerable regardless of who it imports from.

By the numbers: The de-dollarization of global trade

Data suggests that US dollar reserves in central banks are dwindling, as is the influence of the US on the world economy. This presents a unique opportunity for regional currencies and alternative payment systems to enter the vacuum.