Iraq seeks to reduce reliance on energy imports

The 'Powering Iraq' conference focused on further developing Iraq's energy sector and moving the country towards energy independence.

Syrian regime releases ISIS-aligned fighters in Daraa

Residents of the southern province are concerned the newly-released extremists will cause trouble among the local population.

Iraqi forces close in on ISIS remnants in al-Sharqat

Joint forces are pushing deep into the Salaheddine district's western outskirts to rout ISIS remnants and destroy their hiding places.

Daraa incident signals regional power struggle

An attack on a Russian patrol in the southern Syrian province may be a sign of wider tensions between various forces in the region.

Iraq makes progress in resolving displacement crisis

The government is working to address the underlying reasons that prevent people displaced from their homes by ISIS from returning.

Iraqi forces kill 4 ISIS elements in western Anbar

A new operation was launched to clear all ISIS hideouts from the vast desert areas in western Anbar, a local official said.

Iraqi forces step up operations against ISIS remnants in Sinjar

The recent escalation came after ISIS elements kidnapped two Yazidi fighters whose bodies were found Wednesday.

IRGC seeks to open land route via Albu Kamal

By gaining control of a strategic border crossing between Iraq and Syria, Iran is seeking to establish a trans-regional land route for the smuggling of fighters and arms, experts say.

IRGC entices Deir Ezzor youth to join its ranks

By offering higher salaries and other incentives, the IRGC has been attempting to recruit Deir Ezzor youth into the ranks of its militias.

ISIS collects tributes in northern Iraqi provinces

The group's elements are brazenly demanding money from farmers and shop owners in remote villages to secure a new source of funding.

Overcrowding in Iraqi prisons raises fears of radicalization

Prisoners being held on terrorism charges alongside those awaiting trial for lesser crimes may attempt to radicalize the prison population.

Around 1,200 children of ISIS currently held in Iraq

Of the 1,191 ISIS children detained in Iraq, 21 are Iraqi nationals while the rest are children of foreign ISIS fighters.

Iran seeks to prolong Syria war for its own gain

The Islamic republic has taken advantage of the Syrian war to make economic inroads and try to corner the market, analysts tell Diyaruna.

Al-Rutba secure, but vigilance must continue: mayor

The western Anbar district is being secured by the Iraqi army, provincial and district police and tribal forces, al-Rutba's mayor says.

Iraqi forces kill 7 ISIS militants, arrest 8 in security operations

Backed by international coalition warplanes, Iraqi forces have been clearing areas north of Baghdad up to the Iraqi border of ISIS remnants.

Top Omani diplomat to visit Iran amid regional tensions

Oman is among those calling for the release of a British-flagged tanker and for London and Tehran to resolve their dispute with diplomacy.

Media activist among Idlib air raid casualties

A media activist who volunteered with the White Helmets is among those killed in the latest round of Syrian and Russian airstrikes on Idlib.

Agony of Yazidi women torn between ISIS kids, or return home

Dozens of Yazidi women and girls face an agonising ultimatum: abandon their children born to ISIS fathers, or risk being shunned by their community.

US sanctions 4 Iraqis for rights abuses, corruption

Two militia leaders and two former governors have been sanctioned for their abuse of Iraqi citizens and their plundering of national resources.

Iranian contractors cause friction in Iraq

Iranian companies working on public sector projects in Iraq have been criticized for extended delays in delivery and mismanagement.

Attacks on regime forces escalate in Daraa

The southern province is on high alert amid an increasing number of attacks on Syrian regime forces in the former opposition stronghold.

Syrian, Russian strikes kill civilians in Idlib, Hama

Airstrikes and shelling from regime-controlled areas have killed at least 10 civilians in north-western Syria, damaged homes and set fire to crops.

Iraq repatriates 473 children of foreign ISIS fighters

The children have been repatriated in batches to 10 countries since late 2017, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Pro-Iran militiamen try to destabilise Diyala

Iraqi officials have denounced a rising number of attacks of a sectarian nature that threaten to undermine the eastern province's security.

Radical ideology a concern inside ISIS detention camps

ISIS has been defeated militarily, but the issue of how to handle indoctrination remains a concern, especially where children are involved.

Iraqi forces clear ISIS from huge swath of western desert

Joint Iraqi forces have cleared ISIS remnants from 30,000 square kilometres of the western desert stretching up to the border with Syria.

Syrian activists denounce targeting of medics

Medical and rescue workers and the facilities they operate from have been targeted by Syrian regime and Russian forces, activists say.

Iraq-Jordan border crossing generates highest revenue since reopening

The Trebil border crossing, which was reopened in 2017, has begun to register a daily financial revenue of $1.6 million.

UK seeks guarantees ahead of tanker's release

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has told his counterpart in Iran 'Grace 1' will be released if Iran guarantees it was not heading to Syria.

Under IRGC pressure, Deir Ezzor natives leave

As Iran-affiliated militias consolidate their presence in the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor, residents have been heading for other areas.

Syrian regime minimizes impact of fuel crisis

The acute shortage of fuel has affected many aspects of daily life in Syria and has given rise to smugglers and black market dealing.

Al-Hamdaniya sees surge in return of displaced residents

Around 130,000 displaced residents have returned to the Ninawa province district in the three years since its liberation from ISIS, a local official told Diyaruna.

Iraq upholds its trials of ISIS foreign fighters

Foreign nationals who joined ISIS and now face trial for their crimes in Iraq are being treated fairly by the country’s legal system, experts say.

Iraq recovers 6 Yazidis from Syria's al-Hol camp

Five Yazidi women and one child have been handed over to a team from the Iraqi Office for Yazidi Abductees Affairs and returned to Sinjar.

Regime strike kills civilians in rural Idlib camp

Regime bombardment targeted parts of Idlib, and fierce fighting broke out between the warring sides in Latakia's Turkmen Mountain area.

Iraqi religious authorities maintain neutrality amid Iran crisis

Shia authorities in Najaf have refrained from calling on Iraqis to support Iran in its crisis with the international community.

Iraq registers children born in ISIS-controlled areas

Iraqi courts have begun to issue birth certificates to unregistered children born under ISIS rule in partnership with the security forces.

Iraq kicks off new campaign targeting ISIS remnants

A massive military campaign is targeting ISIS cells in the desert of Anbar, Salaheddine and Ninawa that stretches up to the Iraq-Syria border.

Syria forum seeks to counter ISIS's ideology

An international forum to discuss ways to confront ISIS ideology is under way in north-eastern Syria's Qamishli province.

Bombarded by regime forces, Idlib province a 'prison for free men'

Syria's militant-controlled region of Idlib is home to some three million people, who have been variously affected by a surge in regime attacks since April.

Iran fuels sectarianism in Iraq to expand its influence

Iran-backed militias have been undermining Iraqi identity and stirring up sectarianism, which helps the Iranian regime further its own goals.

Iran seeks to use Iraqi territory as base to threaten region: analyst

A drone attack against the Saudi oil industry in May was launched by Iran-backed militias in Iraq, not the Houthis in Yemen, according to a recent report.

Iraqis hail US blacklisting of firm as IRGC guns front

The Iraq-based Manabea Tharwat al-Janoob General Trading Company was used by the IRGC to smuggle hundreds of millions of dollars worth of weapons to affiliates in Iraq.

Iraqi government issues decree to rein in PMF militias

Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi issued a decree Monday that orders the integration of all armed groups into the Iraqi army.

IRGC expands in Syria under guise of reconstruction

Hizbullah-run Jihad al-Bina is recruiting youth and acquiring real estate in strategic areas in Syria in support of the IRGC.

Syrian conscripts desert to avoid Idlib conflict

There have been a growing number of desertions in areas such as al-Nabek in rural Damascus as conscripts seek to avoid the frontlines.

Iraqi forces kill ISIS infiltrators in western Anbar

A new operation was launched Sunday to secure the border and close any loopholes the enemy could infiltrate through.