Hamza Mustafa

Hamza Mustafa
Arab World A photo released by the Iraqi presidency on April 27, 2026, shows President Nizar Amedi, center, shaking hands with Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi, right, in Baghdad

Iraqi PM-Designate Offers Baghdad’s Mediation Between Iran, US

Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi has affirmed Baghdad’s readiness to mediate between Iran and the United States during contacts with Iranian…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World This handout photograph released by the Iraqi Presidency Press Office on April 27, 2026 shows Iraq's President Nizar Amedi (4th L) shaking hands with newly Iraq's Prime Minister designated Ali al-Zaidi (4th R), surrounded by Iraqi political leaders, in Bagdad. (Iraqi Presidency / AFP)

Scramble for Ministries Threatens 'Honeymoon' between Al-Zaidi, Iraq's Political Blocs

Iraq’s Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi is facing an early test in forming a government as disputes over cabinet posts risk straining ties with political…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Iraq’s prime minister-designate Ali Al-Zaidi attends a Coordination Framework meeting in Baghdad on April 27 (AP)

US Backing for Al-Zaidi Rattles Baghdad's Calculations

The US administration went beyond its embassy’s congratulatory post in Baghdad for Iraq’s prime minister-designate, Ali Al-Zaidi, and a phone call by its envoy…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World  From a Coordination Framework alliance meeting in Baghdad (INA)

Iraq Ruling Alliance Nears Critical Constitutional Deadline

Iraq’s Coordination Framework is set to meet on Friday, the final day of the constitutional deadline to name a prime minister-designate, as disputes persist…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World A handout image released by the Iraqi Parliament Media Office on April 11, 2026, shows Iraqi members of parliament attending a session to elect a new president, in Baghdad. (Photo by IRAQ PARLIAMENT MEDIA OFFICE / AFP)

Disputes Over Quotas Stall Iraq Government Talks

Rivalries within Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework have led to a political deadlock over naming a new prime minister, as internal disagreements persist over…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Peshmerga fighters are positioned beneath a portrait of Masoud Barzani in Kirkuk (file photo – EPA)

Barzani Denounces ‘Suspicious Deals’ over Kirkuk Governorship

Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani on Friday rejected a recent political agreement in Iraq’s northern Kirkuk province that led to the appointment of a new governor,…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Members of the Popular Mobilization Forces stand guard during a pro-Iran rally in Tahrir Square on April 2, 2026 (AFP)

Baghdad Says Faction Attacks are ‘Individual Attempts’

The Iraqi government moved on Friday to contain the fallout from an escalating regional war, after the US issued sharp warnings of possible attacks on its…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Iraqis inspect smoke rising from an oil storage facility on the outskirts of Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, following a suspected drone strike on April 1, 2026. (AFP) 

US Warning on Iraq's Militias Deepens Tensions with Baghdad

Relations between Baghdad and Washington have entered a more tense phase after the US embassy issued sharp security warnings and questioned Iraq’s ability to…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)