Hamza Mustafa

Hamza Mustafa
Arab World Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with journalists on Saturday. (Iraqi PM's office)

Zaidi Raises Stakes in Confrontation with Iraq’s Armed Factions

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has intensified his campaign against armed groups operating outside state control, emboldened by public backing from…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Zaidi speaks before presenting his government to parliament in Baghdad on May 14, 2026. (AFP)

Iraq Awaits Zaidi’s First Move on Disarmament of Factions

Iraqi sources said on Friday that the prime minister’s office is preparing intensive consultations after Eid al-Adha as part of a plan to “reorganize the file…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World A motorcycle passes a poster of Muqtada al-Sadr on a street in Baghdad, May 27, 2026 (AFP)

Sadr Gives Armed Wing One Week to Join Iraq Gov’t

Sadrist movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr has given his armed wing one week to complete its break from the movement and join state institutions, as a senior…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World An Iraqi man walks past a poster of Moqtada al-Sadr wearing Saraya al-Salam military uniform on a street in Baghdad (AFP)

Sadr Says Armed Wing to Join Iraqi Gov’t

Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Sadrist movement, said on Wednesday he had decided to sever his movement’s ties with its armed wing, Saraya al…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Kurdistan President Masrour Barzani and Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi meet in Erbil. (Kurdistan government media file photo)

Iraqi Security Delegation to Visit Tehran to Address Attacks on Kurdistan

Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Masrour Barzani held talks in Baghdad on Sunday with new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on pending issues between Baghdad and…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World This handout picture released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Media Office shows Iraq's new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi giving an address after assuming office in Baghdad on May 16, 2026. (Photo by IRAQI PRIME MINISTER'S PRESS OFFICE / AFP)

Iraqi Court Hears First Challenge to Zaidi’s Premiership

Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court has set July 1 for its first hearing in a lawsuit challenging the validity of Ali al-Zaidi’s designation as prime minister, the…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi (AFP)

Baghdad Sends Team to Saudi Arabia, UAE to Trace Attacks

A senior Iraqi security team will soon travel to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to request intelligence on the trajectory and launch sites of…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World This handout picture released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Press Office shows new prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi (C) sitting ahead of presenting his government to the parliament in Baghdad on May 14, 2026. (Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office / AFP)

Iraq’s Coordination Framework on Verge of Collapse after Zaidi’s Govt Approved by Parliament

Iraq’s ruling pro-Iran Coordination Framework appears to be on the verge of collapse after Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's government was approved by parliament…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad) Asharq Al Awsat (London)