Iraq

Millions of Iranians travel to the Iraqi city of Kerbala every year for the ritual of Arbaeen, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the ...

We hope to evacuate them today," state TV cited a senior aviation authority as saying. [Due to safety concerns](https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-713981), it is necessary for Iranians to refrain from traveling to Iraq until further notice," state TV quoted Iran's deputy Interior Minister Majid Mirahmadi as saying. [prompted his loyalists to storm a government palace](https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-715885) and fight with rival groups.

Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr told his followers to leave their protests in central Baghdad on Tuesday and apologised to the Iraqi people after nearly two ...

"This is not a revolutionary (anymore) because it has lost its peaceful character," Sadr said in a televised address. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Al-Sadr refused to negotiate with his Iran-backed Shiite rivals, and his withdrawal Monday catapulted Iraq into political uncertainty. Iran closed its borders ...

The decision came as millions prepared to visit Iraq for an annual pilgrimage to Shiite sites. It’s an explosive rivalry in a country where many remain way of the Iranian government’s influence even though trade and ties remain strong between people. In addition to the dozens killed, over 400 were wounded, two Iraqi medical officials said Tuesday. Many of his followers quickly heeded his call, dismantling their tents and leaving the Green Zone. The chaos began when al-Sadr announced he would resign from politics, and his supporters stormed the Green Zone, once the stronghold of the U.S. Iraq’s government has been deadlocked since al-Sadr’s party won the largest share of seats in October parliamentary elections but not enough to secure a majority government.

Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr gather on a road blocked with burning tires during a demonstration in Iraq's southern city of Basra, Aug. 29, ...

Protesters loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who resigned Monday, pulled down the cement barriers outside the government palace with ropes and breached the palace gates. Dubai’s long-haul carrier Emirates stopped flights to Baghdad on Tuesday over the ongoing unrest in Iraq. The state-run KUNA news agency also encouraged those hoping to travel to Iraq to delay their plans over the eruption of violent street clashes between rival Shiite groups in the country.

Violence continued to escalate Tuesday in Iraq's Green Zone. Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr clashed with Iraqi security forces, using grenades ...

[CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP](https://www.foxnews.com/apps-products?pid=AppArticleLink) [Dubai's long-haul carrier](https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/real-housewives-dubai-new-series) Emirates stopped flights to Baghdad on Tuesday over the ongoing unrest. Many rushed into the lavish salons and marbled halls of the palace, a key meeting place for Iraqi heads of state and foreign dignitaries. [Iraqi medical officials said.](https://www.foxnews.com/health) The toll included both al-Sadr loyalists killed in protests the day before and clashes overnight. "There are firefights around the embassy in Baghdad. Now the Shiites are fighting among themselves, with Iranian-backed Shiites and Iraqi nationalist Shiites jockeying for power, influence and state resources. It urged Iranians avoid any travel to the neighboring country. Heavy black smoke at one point rose over the area, visible from kilometers (miles) away. [IRAQ PROTESTS: MULTIPLE DEATHS, DOZENS INJURED AFTER HUNDREDS STORM GOV'T PALACE, CLASH WITH SECURITY FORCES](https://www.foxnews.com/world/iraq-protests-multiple-people-dead-hundreds-injured-storm-government-palace-clash-security-forces) Live television footage showed supporters of al-Sadr firing both heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades into the heavily fortified Green Zone through a section of pulled-down concrete walls. Those backing cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who resigned suddenly Monday amid a political impasse, earlier stormed the Green Zone, once the stronghold of the U.S. At least one country evacuated its diplomatic personnel amid the chaos.

Death toll rises after unrest following announcement of Muqtada al-Sadr's resignation from politics.

“There is a lot of gunfire in and near the green zone,” said Saud Mansour, a resident of the west of the city. If they do, they’re making a mistake that everyone will pay for.” Protesters loyal to Sadr had earlier pulled down barriers outside the government palace with ropes and breached the palace gates. “But if this fight continues to develop, it becomes something bigger than they can control. However, a counterterrorism force was witnessed preventing the entry of a unit from the Popular Mobilisation Unit (PMU), an ancillary force raised during the fight against Islamic State that has retained a significant presence since that war ended. They’re heading to the parliament area.”

Fighting between rival Iraqi forces raged for a second day Tuesday as the death toll from violence sparked by Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's resignation ...

Dubai's long-haul carrier Emirates stopped flights to Baghdad on Tuesday over the ongoing unrest in Iraq. Kuwait meanwhile has urged its citizens in neighboring Iraq to leave the country. To further his political interests, Sadr has wrapped his rhetoric in a nationalist and reform agenda that resonates powerfully among his broad grassroots base of supporters. Overnight, shelling targeted the high-security Green Zone that houses government buildings and diplomatic missions amid angry protests after Sadr's surprise announcement. Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called on his followers to stop protesting Tuesday after violent clashes between rival Shiite Muslim groups continued for a second day following his announcement that he was withdrawing from politics. Romanowski (@USAmbIraq)

Muqtada al-Sadr apologised to Iraqis for the violence of the past two days in a speech.

At least 30 have been confirmed killed in Iraq as violent protests continue over Shiite infighting amid its worst political crisis since 2003.

[enough of politics and stepped down](https://www.foxnews.com/world/iraqi-protesters-storm-government-palace-cleric-moqtada-al-sadr-quits-politics) from his cleric role. toppled the Saddam Hussein regime. [the dissolution of parliament](https://www.foxnews.com/world/iraqs-sadr-tells-judiciary-dissolve-parliament-week) and early elections. invasion in 2003. [GUNFIRE STRIKES IRAQ'S GREEN ZONE DURING VIOLENT PROTESTS](https://www.foxnews.com/world/gunfire-strikes-iraqs-green-zone-during-violent-protests) [dead in Iraq](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/world-regions/iraq) Tuesday as fighting continues in Baghdad following the resignation of a top Shiite leader Monday.

Monitoring and Evaluation Consultancy in Iraq about Health and Protection and Human Rights, requiring 3-4 years of experience, from Oxfam GB; ...

Study the already available documentation on SRHR online access within the context of Iraq. Furthermore, the findings of the study will be used to advocate for greater access to SRHR information for young people and for reducing the stigma around SRHR, especially regarding sexual health. - The technical proposal: This part should include Curriculum Vitae or profile, cover letter, proposed methodology according to the ToR and implementation workplan. The research's main objective is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the framework of censorship that affects access to online SRHR information in Iraq, with a focus on sexual health. The platforms will enable young people to access inclusive SRHR information, to be able to interact and discuss SRHR topics in a safe online space, and as needed, be referred to SRH services in Iraq. In 2021, Oxfam is amongst the largest NGOs operating in the country, with nine offices and almost 200 employees.

Iraq's powerful cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers to end their protests in central Baghdad on Tuesday, easing a confrontation which led to the ...

He commands a thousands-strong militia and has millions of loyal supporters across the country. It later reopened the border. As the deadline passed at around 2 p.m. "The spilling of Iraqi blood is forbidden." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com This week's violence erupted after Sadr said he was withdrawing from all political activity - a decision he said was prompted by the failure of other Shi'ite leaders and parties to reform a corrupt and decaying governing system.

At least 30 have died over two days of unrest following Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's announcement he would quit politics.

Many rushed into the lavish salons and marbled halls of the palace, a key meeting place for Iraqi heads of state and foreign dignitaries. It’s an explosive rivalry in a country where many remain way of the Iranian government’s influence even though trade and ties remain strong between its peoples. Dubai’s long-haul carrier Emirates stopped flights to Baghdad on Tuesday over the ongoing unrest. “There are firefights around the embassy in Baghdad. It urged Iranians avoid any travel to the neighboring country. The 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam, a Sunni, reversed the political order. Heavy black smoke at one point rose over the area, visible from kilometers (miles) away. Some bystanders filmed the gunfight with their mobile phones, though most hid behind still-standing segments of wall, wincing when rounds cracked nearby. Iraq’s government has been deadlocked since al-Sadr’s party won the largest share of seats in October parliamentary elections but not enough to secure a majority government — unleashing months of infighting between different Shi‘ite factions. The country’s vital oil continued to flow, with global benchmark Brent crude trading slightly down at $103 a barrel. Security forces armed with machine guns inside the zone sporadically returned fire. After cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced Monday he would resign from politics, his supporters stormed the Green Zone, once the stronghold of the U.S.

The protesters, fiercely loyal supporters of the influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, had been enraged by his pledge to leave Iraqi politics—although he ...

[28 people](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/29/world/asia/china-arrests-beating-women.html) and investigating 15 officials for corruption in relation to the incident. That pitched Iraq into uncertainty and left it in the hands of a caretaker government that can’t [approve budgets](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/14/iraq-crisis-ayatollah-parliament-00051587) or legislation. Some experts say Sadr’s announcement was a dangerous, desperate [ploy](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/29/world/middleeast/iraq-sadr-politics.html) to maintain his power and galvanize his base. But Monday’s clashes—which killed at least 15 people, injured over [100 people](https://www.wsj.com/articles/iraqi-cleric-moqtada-al-sadr-quits-politics-setting-off-protests-11661790479), and pushed the military to impose a nationwide curfew—suggest a worrying new turn in the crisis. It’s unclear what caused their fight, which took place on the Paris-Geneva route in June. “The country I left is a country that people miss. It did not go as he may have intended: They were swiftly [replaced](https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-religion-iran-elections-legislature-edb3dbb31b0e523ad60a0a060493516b), effectively eliminating his parliamentary sway for the first time in nearly two decades. Main roads into the city have been blocked since 2015, aid groups said, a closure that has had profound humanitarian implications. “Sadr’s willingness to worsen Iraq’s political turmoil, delay Iraq’s government formation, and escalate protests further—threatening an all-out war with rival Shiite groups—should surely serve as a warning that he is capable of catapulting the country into something even worse,” Talabany wrote. Brazil’s presidential race. would repair this situation by going to him, begging him to change his mind and bring his MPs back,” Kadhim said. Although Sadr was the elections’

At least 30 people have been killed and hundreds injured in clashes relating to the political influence of Iran.

At the same time, it has established a foothold in the Iraqi parliament and in various arms of government. How far this confrontation will lead will be determined by how staunch Sadr is in his attempts to break the system. However, this time he has put all he has on the line, vowing to break a system that he says has failed the country. Iran and Iraq are majority Shia countries and since 2003, Iran has had a growing presence in the country. But a standoff since has failed to produce a coalition that could form a government in the 329-seat parliament. Widely known to be volatile and unpredictable, he has proven a difficult figure to gauge or deal with.

Latest violence started and ended after comments from Shia religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr, an influential voice in Iraq for 20 years. supporters of Iraq ...

Al-Sadr called on his supporters to take part in a “million man march” to demand the complete withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. [won](/news/2021/12/27/iraq-court-rejects-bid-to-annul-election-results-by-ex-paramilita) 73 seats, more than any other group in the fractious 329-seat body. Al-Halbousi’s bloc and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) also boycotted the polls. The move was considered a big political gamble that essentially handed power to opposing Shia groups aligned with Iran. Iraqi military units were also deployed to the area. The attempted killing raised the prospect of further escalation between Shia groups. The poll, which was marred by allegations that it was not free and fair, led to months of political gridlock, which eventually resulted in Adel Abdul-Mahdi being selected as prime minister. The overall protest movement left at least 560 protesters and members of Iraq’s security forces dead. Those often deadly protests have been driven by parliamentary gridlock, the high cost of living and a lack of basic services in the country. The protests largely cut across ethnic and sectarian lines and were not backed by any political movement. His brigades later re-mobilised to fight the ISIL (ISIS) group. He fomented a years-long protest movement, which remains a powerful force in the country.

Iraq's Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers to end their protests in central Baghdad on Tuesday, easing a confrontation which led to the ...

“We are trying to arrange an emergency flight to bring back Iranians from Iraq and Baghdad who are currently at the airport. “The spilling of Iraqi blood is forbidden,” he emphasised. We hope to evacuate them today,” state TV cited a senior aviation authority as saying.Earlier, state TV said Iran had halted all flights to Iraq “until further notice because of the ongoing unrest”.

Powerful Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his supporters to go home on Tuesday, 24 hours after his announcement of withdrawal from politics ...

Iran closed its borders with Iraq following the violence and canceled some flights to Baghdad, according to Iran's state news agency IRNA. Iraq has been without a functioning government for 10 months now, with political parties stuck in a deadlock on who should lead the next cabinet. The Coordination Framework is formed of various Shia groups, some of which are backed by Iran. In his address, al-Sadr thanked government forces for "remaining neutral" during the crisis. Protesters were seen swimming in the palace's pool and waving Iraqi flags, while others clashed with Iraqi security forces in what turned out to be some of the Minutes later, the Iraqi military said it would lift a nationwide curfew that was imposed on Monday.

Oil traders are weighing the threat that violent political unrest in Iraq could disrupt supplies from OPEC's second-largest producer, whipsawing prices amid ...

Supporters of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, a former anti-U.S. insurgent leader, have surrounded the Majnoon oil field in Basra since Monday evening as well ...

[read more](/world/middle-east/iraqs-sadr-tells-supporters-withdraw-after-violent-clashes-2022-08-30/) [read more](/world/middle-east/iraq-security-forces-say-four-rockets-land-baghdads-green-zone-2022-08-30/) Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Al-Yassiri added that SOMO is set to export 3.35 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude from its main port in the south this month. Still, the political unrest ...

[suggesting](https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/asian-open-set-to-be-subdued-by-feds-stern-stance-markets-wrap) resilience in household and labour demand in the U.S., which primed the Federal Reserve toward pricing in another three-quarter percentage point hike in September in its effort to combat inflation; as a result, the dollar rose and commodities from oil to copper dropped. Meanwhile, Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial, pointed out that the supply-demand balance has "tightened some and this week's crude storage is looking for another decline of 500,000-600,000 barrels, which if seen, would take storage back to the lowest in three months." [said](https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/clashes-in-baghdad-yet-to-hit-iraqs-oil-production) in an interview that his country has the capacity to boost exports to all destinations and won't refuse any requests for more oil. Still, the political unrest spooked analysts, and Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, remarked that "The market is hoping for a solution in Iraq, but until such time a notoriously volatile country will keep the market nervous." Al-Yassiri added that SOMO is set to export 3.35 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude from its main port in the south this month. [caused](https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/oil-retreats-after-iraq-calms-supply-nerves-following-clashes-1.1812071) a massive price drop in excess of 5 percent, the steepest decline in a month.

Iraq is the world's third largest oil producer, so disruptions in Iraqi oil supply could cause energy prices to skyrocket globally. “I think 'evolving' ...

The country has dealt with political [deadlock](https://dailycaller.com/2022/08/23/iraq-govt-shambles-falls-further-chaos/) and repeated calls from Sadr to protest since elections in October. SOMO also said it could redirect future supply to Europe as winter looms and Russia [squeezes](https://dailycaller.com/2022/07/25/russia-throttles-gas-flows-europe-exports-china-record-highs/) supply to Europe in response to sanctions levied against it for invading Ukraine, which could free up domestic supply for the U.S. is undergoing its own [crisis](https://dailycaller.com/2022/08/24/energy-crisis-americans-afford-utility-bills/) as energy costs continue to skyrocket. [emerged](https://dailycaller.com/2022/08/30/rioters-disband-iraqi-palace-fighting/) in the oil-rich Basra region, with Sadrists burning tires and crowding the streets. [boasted](https://dailycaller.com/2022/07/29/big-oil-posts-record-profits/) record profits, but prices continue to increase. “One can assume that this is really, by proxy, the Iranian takeover of Iraqi oil fields and Iraqi oil wealth,” said Ledeen. Instability in Iraq could give Iran an advantage regardless of which group emerges from the conflict with the upper hand—and that includes Iraq’s oil fields. Sadr’s political platform is opposed to Iran, but he formerly aligned with Iran and led a militia group during the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that bears responsibility for the deaths of U.S. may become more [dependent](https://dailycaller.com/2022/08/26/biden-admin-admits-offshore-drilling-crackdown-require-half-replaced-foreign-imports/) on foreign oil. [winter](https://dailycaller.com/2022/08/24/macron-upheaval-europes-economy-implode/)‘ of Russia’s unacceptable invasion of Ukraine, becoming more than an added distraction point,” he said. “The market is already tight, so any serious outage in Iraq would likely put upward pressure on prices.” Violence also reached the oil-rich areas of Iraq, which if intensified could disrupt production and send oil prices in the U.S.

For the better part of two decades, Baghdad has endured strife, instability and tragedy in equal measure. But the chaos that engulfed the Iraqi capital on ...

The Shiite power of the Middle East has a direct line to major factions in Iraq, including the Popular Mobilization Forces — militias that were instrumental in the fight against the Islamic State but now are [tweeted Sajad Jiyad](https://twitter.com/SajadJiyad/status/1564677266914902016), a Baghdad-based fellow for the Century Foundation, a U.S. There’s little prospect of significant reform to satisfy their demands and deploy the nation’s vast oil wealth to better address its people’s needs. [little evidence that Sadr and Maliki](https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/iraq-iran-shiites/), let alone a whole constellation of other actors jostling for power, will be able to settle their differences soon. Sadr and his allies have called for the dissolution of parliament and fresh elections. Hanging over the current tensions is a deeper malaise. The maneuverings of these two camps led to a fractious summer that culminated in the explosion of open conflict this week. The prospect of fresh clashes looms. Sadr’s announcement Monday that he was “retiring” from politics triggered the rampage of his supporters; in the aftermath of the clashes, he is hardly disappearing from the scene. His gambit is part of an evolving intra-Shiite rivalry in the country that threatens to destabilize a frail state even further and complicates the equation for Iran’s theocratic regime, which has long exercised influence over Baghdad. Sadr, who in the previous decade led anti-American revolts and is a fixture in Iraqi politics, positions himself as a populist nationalist and commands significant, though by no means total, support from Iraqi Shiites. The violence sprawled across the country, with Sadrists attacking the offices of factions linked to Iran in various cities.