Hamza Mustafa

Hamza Mustafa
Arab World  Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf (R) attends a ceremony marking 40 days since the burial of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Karbala, central Iraq, Aug. 20, 2026. (AFP)

Iran's Qalibaf Urges Baghdad to Break Economic Dependence on Washington

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibafon Friday urged Baghdad to reduce its reliance on the dollar and draw up what he called a “precise roadmap”…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf at the entrance to parliament (parliament website)

Sources: Ghalibaf’s Baghdad Visit Fell Short of All Objectives

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Thursday backed Iraq’s push to bring weapons under state control amid a Sept. 30 deadline. Ghalibaf…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World This handout photograph taken and released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Media Office on August 19, 2026 shows Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (L) and Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during their meeting in Baghdad. (Photo by Iraq's Prime Minister Media Office / AFP)

Ghalibaf Discusses Iranian Plan in Baghdad to ‘Hide’ Faction Weapons

Iran is pushing proposals to avert a confrontation between Iraq’s government and Tehran-aligned armed factions over their weapons, with Parliament Speaker…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, Coordination Framework member Hadi al-Amiri, and Reconstruction and Development Alliance leader Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani (Coordination Framework)

Iraqi Faction Rejects Using Force to Disarm Groups

Iraq's Badr Organization that is led by Hadi al-Amiri has rejected the government's attempts to using force to disarm armed factions. The organization’s…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World An armored vehicle in Baghdad. (AFP)

Iraqi Government Increases Pressure on Armed Factions as Deadline Nears

The Iraqi government is stepping up efforts to rein in armed groups as Shiite political circles debate the future relationship between the state and armed…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World 14 May 2026, Iraq, Berlin: Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government, arrives at the parliament building ahead of a parliamentary session held for a confidence vote on the cabinet formed by al-Zaidi. Photo: Ameer Al-Mohammedawi/dpa

Barzani Relays Zaidi-Sharaa Messages, Paves Way for Damascus Visit

Iraq’s federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government are stepping up security and political coordination, with Erbil backing Baghdad’s push to bring…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World A member of the Iraqi security forces patrols a street in Baghdad. (AFP file)

Baghdad Bolsters Deployment in 'Vulnerable' Areas, Warns Armed Factions

An Iraqi military spokesman said security forces were ready to stop attacks on neighboring countries from Iraqi territory, as Baghdad presses ahead with a plan…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi (second left) chairs the meeting of the State Administration Coalition on Wednesday. (INA)

Iraq’s Ruling Coalition Warns Factions to Lay Down Weapons by Sept 30 Deadline

Iraq's State Administration Coalition, which boasts Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish forces, made a firmer stance against factions that continue to carry weapons…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)