Hamza Mustafa

Hamza Mustafa
Arab World An American helicopter flies near the Harir Air Base in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan (Rudaw file photo)

US Withdrawal Fears Grip Baghdad

The Sept. 30 withdrawal of US forces will mark Iraq’s shift toward full security self-reliance and remove any justification for armed activity outside state…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World The exterior of Baghdad International Airport (Reuters)

Iraq Reopens Airspace to Civilian Flights After Years of Military Restrictions

Iraq said on Friday it had reopened parts of its airspace that had been reserved for military operations against ISIS to civilian aviation after a 10-year…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World A suspected ISIS member arrives for questioning at Karkh Prison in Baghdad (AP) 

French Lawyers Object to Handling of ISIS Detainees in Iraq

An Iraqi official said the cases of ISIS detainees transferred from Syria to Iraq earlier this year were being handled exclusively by the Counter-Terrorism…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Officials from the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga Ministry attend a security coordination meeting in Baghdad (government media)

Iraqi Factions Demand Law Bringing All Weapons Under State Control

Iraqi factions have renewed their demand that the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces be included in a plan to bring weapons under state control through a new…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Vehicles of the Iraqi army at the entrance to the capital Baghdad’s suburb of Sadr City. (AFP file)

Iraq Says Dialogue over Factions’ Weapons to Continue After Sept. 30 Deadline

The Iraqi government said on Thursday that the plan to impose state monopoly over weapons will begin after the complete withdrawal of anti-ISIS coalition…

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

Disarmament Stalemate Casts Shadow Over Iraqi Government, Coordination Framework

Iraq’s ruling coalition has been forced to abandon plans to create deputy prime minister posts amid disputes over bringing weapons under state control, while…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World The State Administration Coalition meets on Saturday. (INA)

Iraq’s Governing Coalition Sidesteps Arms Issue, Warns of Fallout from Iran Sanctions

Iraq’s State Administration Coalition, which brings together Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish forces, sidestepped the issue of bringing weapons under state control…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Iraqi police manage a queue of vehicles outside a fuel station in Baghdad, Sept. 5, 2026. (AFP)

Iraq’s Coordination Framework, Armed Factions Hit Deadlock in Talks

Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework has hit a deadlock with armed factions refusing to surrender their weapons as the Sept. 30 deadline for the final US…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)