The Iraqi government is looking to gain control of Iranian-aligned armed groups that operate inside of Iraq but outside state control, in yet another sign of Iran's weakened position since October 7.

Amid historical changes in the balance of power in the Middle East, at least one thing remains constant: the strategic importance of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The new leadership of the country said the rebel coalition leader, Ahmed al-Shara, would serve as president during a transitional period.

Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, collectively part of the Hashd al Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units), face increasing calls to place their arms under state control or lay them down entirely. The fall of the Assad regime,

Built on a hill 30 kilometers from Damascus, the Saidnaya prison has instilled terror in generations of Syrians: a place of damnation where men are "neither alive nor dead," in the words of the poet Faraj Bayrakdar, arrested for "communist activities" and who survived 14 years of detention in various prisons across the country.

Iran holds tremendous sway inside Iraq despite the presence of US troops, setting up a tug-of-war for the incoming Trump administration.

A BRITISH holiday firm plans to restart trips to Syria just six weeks after the fall of tyrant Bashar al-Assad’s regime. London-based Untamed Borders stopped taking travellers there last year amid

ERBIL (Kurdistn24) – Iraq’s Ministry of Migration and Displaced announced on Saturday that Syrian displaced persons in Iraq, especially in the Kurdistan Region, are free to return to Syria following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Iraq on Sunday for talks with officials on the fight against Kurdish militants, security issues and bilateral ties, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Saturday.

Aspiring spy boss Tulsi Gabbard defended most of her controversial foreign policy takes during a lively Senate hearing Thursday, including her meeting with former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and her prior doubts about the legitimacy of US intelligence on his use of chemical weapons against his own people.

Iraq will not be negatively affected by the weakening of Iran's influence in the Middle East, Iraq's deputy parliament speaker said, with Baghdad looking to chart its own diplomatic path in the region and limit the power of armed groups.

Iran's loss of influence in Lebanon and Syria has helped to spark a shift in attitude among Arab leaders.