Hamza Mustafa

Hamza Mustafa
Arab World The US Embassy headquarters in Baghdad's fortified "Green Zone" is pictured on March 18, 2026. (AFP)

After Pressure, Iraqi Factions Stop Attacks on US Embassy

Political parties in Iraq have carried out intense efforts over the past two days to contain the escalation in the country in wake of increased attacks on the…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World The US Embassy compound in Iraq inside the Green Zone in Baghdad (AFP) 

Talks in Baghdad Aim to Halt Attacks on US Embassy

A series of meetings held over the past two days inside Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone have produced a preliminary framework aimed at halting attacks on the US…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Mourners pray by the caskets of two slain fighters from Iraq's Hezbollah Brigades (Kataeb Hezbollah), who were killed in a strike on their site in Baghdad's al-Jadriya area, during their funeral at the shrine of Imam Ali in Iraq's central holy city of Najaf on March 14, 2026. (Photo by Qassem al-KAABI / AFP)

Iraq Warns Drone Strikes Could Trigger al-Qaeda Prison Break

Iraq’s Ministry of Justice warned Sunday that repeated drone attacks near Baghdad International Airport pose a danger to a nearby prison holding high-risk al…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Mourners attend the funeral of members of Iraq's PMF, who were killed in an airstrike in the town of al‑Qaim near the Syrian border, amid heightened regional tensions due to the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

Ongoing Strikes in Iraq Expose Political, Security Divisions

Strikes targeting armed groups in Iraq are continuing amid the US-Israel war on Iran, piling pressure on decision-makers in Baghdad to maintain a unified…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World The Coordination Framework faces a dilemma after nominating Nouri al-Maliki for Prime Minister (INA)

Iraqi Confusion Over Allegations of US Warning of Sanctions

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said that the authorities have received an oral message from Washington, “clearing and explicitly” hinting at possible…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Arab World Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, with Nouri al-Maliki to his left in the picture (AFP)

Maliki Nears Exit From Race to Form Iraqi Gov’t

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is seeing his bid for a third term unravel, undermined by rising US pressure and deepening splits within the Shiite…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad ) Fadhel al-Nashmi
Arab World Members of the Iraqi border forces patrol along a concrete wall on the Iraqi-Syrian border, in the town of al-Baghuz in the Al-Qaim district of western Iraq, on January 21, 2026. (AFP)

Iraq Urges International Community to Help it Shoulder ISIS Burden

The transfer of ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria could saddle Iraq with annual costs of up to $25 million, an Iraqi government source said on Saturday. …

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad)
Features Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani meets with US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack in Baghdad, January 22, 2026 (Reuters)

ISIS Detainees at the Crossroads of Security Pressures and Politics in Iraq

The issue of ISIS detainees transferred from prisons in northeastern Syria to Iraq has moved to the forefront of Baghdad’s security and political agenda,…

Hamza Mustafa