Hamza Mustafa

Hamza Mustafa
Arab World Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announcing victory over Daesh in late 2017 (Archive – Government Media) 

After al-Sadr’s Boycott, al-Abadi Withdraws from Iraq’s Upcoming Elections

Following the decision by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Sadrist Movement to uphold its boycott of Iraq’s parliamentary elections, former Prime Minister…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World A man rides a motorcycle past a billboard depicting Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Ali al-Sistani, along a street in Baghdad on June 19, 2025. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

Sistani Warns Against Targeting Khamenei, Sadr Calls for Mass Protests

As Iraq’s judiciary vowed legal action against anyone seeking to destabilize the country, major Iranian-backed Iraqi militias declared their readiness to take…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani attending a meeting for the Coordination Framework (INA)

Iraqis Urged to Protest Israel as Militias Warn US Against Intervention

Iraq’s public support for Iran in its escalating missile standoff with Israel has triggered concern that the country could be drawn into a wider conflict…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of Baghdad, Iraq, August 11, 2021. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo

US Urges Baghdad, Erbil to Carry Out ‘Constructive Dialogue’

The United States has urged Baghdad and Erbil “to resolve their issues through constructive dialogue consistent with their constitutional responsibilities”…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World A convoy of US forces seen on the border between Syria and Iraq. (Reuters file)

Iraq Reiterates Need for Int’l Coalition Forces to Remain

Iraq’s security and defense committee announced on Sunday that “the need still stands” for the US-led anti-ISIS international coalition to remain in the…

Hamza Mustafa
Arab World Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)

Kurdistan Salary Crisis Clouds Eid Celebrations in Baghdad

The festivity of Eid al-Adha in Baghdad was overshadowed by growing political tensions, particularly over the unresolved salary crisis in the Kurdistan Region…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World This handout pictured released the Iraq's Prime Minister's Media Office shows Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (R) meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the government palace in the Green Zone in Baghdad, on June 1, 2025. (Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office / Handout / AFP)

Aoun’s Visit to Baghdad Eases Strained Ties between Lebanon, Iraq 

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun arrived in Baghdad on Sunday on an official visit for talks with top Iraqi officials. Ties between Lebanon and Iraq had been…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani receives Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Erbil (Government Media)

Erbil Threatens Boycott as Baghdad Freezes Salaries, US Urges Calm

Tensions are high between Erbil and Baghdad after Iraq’s Federal Finance Minister, Taif Sami, ordered the suspension of salary payments to employees in the…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)