Ali Saray

Ali Saray
Features A Saddam Hussein mural is seen in Baghdad in 1991. (Getty Images)

25 Years of Unanswered Questions in Iraq

People in Iraq often wonder dejectedly: What if Saddam Hussein were alive and ruling the country today? Many will reply with fantastical answers, but Saddam’s…

Ali Saray (London)
Features  
US helicopters accompany Secretary Antony Blinken as he heads to the US Embassy in Baghdad on December 13, 2024 (Reuters)

Baghdad After Damascus: Questions About the Day After

On November 24, 2024, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed what seemed to be its final attack on Israel. The announcement came two weeks after Syrian…

Ali Saray (London)
Features A Syrian anti government fighter poses for a picture in front of one of the water wheels, or norias, of Hama, after forces captured of the city of Hama on December 6, 2024. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)

How Will the ‘Battle for Damascus’ Resonate in Beirut and Baghdad?

The chances of the Syrian conflict turning into an open and possibly long-lasting war between competing regional powers are growing, following a sudden shift…

Ali Saray (London)
Arab World Members of the “Nujaba Movement” during a military parade in Baghdad (X)

Rare Moment of Doubt Between Iran, Iraqi Allies

As Syrian armed factions expand, Iraqi Shiite groups are steering clear of the fighting, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s…

Ali Saray (London)
Arab World Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (C) and former PM Nouri al-Maliki to his right. (X platform)

Maliki Pressuring Iraqi PM to Resign Following Confessions in Wire-tapping Scandal

The pro-Iran Coordination Framework in Iraq is intensifying its pressure on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to resign in wake of the wire-tapping…

Ali Saray (London)
Features Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. (Reuters)

Al-Sudani and Maliki: More than Just an Iraqi Cold War

A cold war is brewing between Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and former PM Nouri al-Maliki. They are forging ahead rapidly towards next year’s…

Ali Saray (London)
Arab World Members of a pro-Iran Iraq faction burn an Israeli flag during a rally in Baghdad. (AP)

Iran Mulls Iraqi Armed Factions’ Plans to Support Hezbollah in Lebanon against Israel 

Leaders of various Iraqi armed factions are studying “preliminary” plans to support the Hezbollah party in Lebanon should a war erupt between it and Israel. …

Ali Saray (London)
Features Iran's acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein arrive for a joint news conference in Baghdad, Iraq June 13, 2024. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

‘Iraqi Resistance’ Ready for ‘Wider War’ in Lebanon

When Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein warned of the outbreak of war in Lebanon, his disturbing words were expected to receive a stormy response from Iraqi…

Ali Saray (London)