Hamza Mustafa

Hamza Mustafa
Arab World Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, with Nouri al-Maliki to his left in the picture (AFP)

Maliki Nears Exit From Race to Form Iraqi Gov’t

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is seeing his bid for a third term unravel, undermined by rising US pressure and deepening splits within the Shiite…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad ) Fadhel al-Nashmi
Arab World Members of the Iraqi border forces patrol along a concrete wall on the Iraqi-Syrian border, in the town of al-Baghuz in the Al-Qaim district of western Iraq, on January 21, 2026. (AFP)

Iraq Urges International Community to Help it Shoulder ISIS Burden

The transfer of ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria could saddle Iraq with annual costs of up to $25 million, an Iraqi government source said on Saturday. …

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Features Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani meets with US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack in Baghdad, January 22, 2026 (Reuters)

ISIS Detainees at the Crossroads of Security Pressures and Politics in Iraq

The issue of ISIS detainees transferred from prisons in northeastern Syria to Iraq has moved to the forefront of Baghdad’s security and political agenda,…

Hamza Mustafa
Arab World Iraqi security says it carried out raid in Syria, arrested ISIS leaders (Government Media)

Baghdad Pushes for Deeper Partnership with Washington against ISIS

An Iraqi official said security cooperation with the United States is intensifying in the fight against terrorism, following a rare joint helicopter raid by…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani stands beside Nouri al-Maliki during a religious event in Baghdad (Government Media)

Iraq’s New Government Faces Unpredictable Prospects

Tension rippled through Iraq’s ruling Shiite alliance after authorities briefly listed Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi group as terrorist organizations,…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World The Khor Mor gas field after a rocket attack near Chamchamal, in Sulaymaniyah province, Iraq, November 27, 2025. (Reuters)

Attack on Khor Mor Gas Field Increases Pressure on Baghdad over Armed Factions

Wednesday’s attack on the Khor Mor gas field in northern Iraq has piled pressure on the country to deal with armed factions. Iraqi authorities have pledged to…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World The Kormor gas field after a missile attack near Jamjamal in Sulaymaniyah Governorate (Reuters). 

Washington Warns Iraqi Factions after Strike on Kormor Gas Field

Energy supplies across the Kurdistan Region were severely disrupted after gas flows from the Kormor field in Sulaymaniyah province were halted following a…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World US President Donald Trump and US Special Envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya. (X)

US Rejects ‘Foreign Interference’ in Iraq Govt Formation Process

The United States has made its position clear on Iraq’s government formation efforts, explicitly saying that it rejects foreign meddling in the process. US…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)