About: Iraq
Erdogan says Turkey, Israel can jointly bring gas to Europe
Turkey and Israel can work together to carry Israeli natural gas to Europe and the two countries will discuss energy cooperation during talks next month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was quoted as saying on Friday (4 February).
Iraq says almost 4,000 repatriated from Belarus borders
Baghdad has repatriated almost 4,000 of its citizens stuck on the Belarus borders with European Union members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia in recent weeks, Iraq's foreign minister said Sunday (16 January).
One Belarus border camp cleared as Iraqis fly home
A makeshift migrant camp on Belarus' border with Poland has been cleared, Minsk said Thursday (18 November), as hundreds of Iraqis who failed to make the crossing to enter the European Union returned home.
Iraq to start repatriating citizens from Belarus on ‘voluntary’ basis
The Iraqi government said it was organising a repatriation flight this Thursday (18 November) for its citizens stuck on the Poland-Belarus border on a "voluntary" basis.
Iraqi PM escapes ‘assassination attempt’ drone blast
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi escaped unhurt from an “assassination attempt” in which an explosives-packed drone hit his Baghdad residence early Sunday (7 November), a new escalation in the country’s post-election turmoil. US President Joe Biden condemned the “terrorist attack”...
Borrell: EU should prepare for the next crises – Iraq, Sahel
The fall of Kabul to the Taliban and the chaotic international evacuation effort shows that Europe needs to develop its own military capacity independent of the United States, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell argues.
370 Iraqi would-be migrants to EU flown home from Belarus
Iraq has repatriated 370 of its nationals from the Belarus border with Lithuania, a government source said Wednesday (11 August), after accusations that Minsk has been encouraging unauthorised arrivals of migrants to the EU.
Latvia starts pushing back migrants at tense Belarus border
Latvian border guards turned back dozens of migrants into Belarus overnight under a new state of emergency designed to stem a flow of arrivals the European Union says is orchestrated by Minsk.
EU sees ‘significant decrease’ in Lithuania arrivals
The European Union on Tuesday said there had been a "significant decrease" in migrants crossing the border from Belarus into Lithuania after Iraq halted flights to Minsk.
Baghdad to Lithuania: How Belarus opened new migration route to EU
Days after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko threatened to flood Europe with migrants, dozens of mostly Iraqi Kurds started arriving in Lithuania. In a cross-border investigation spanning Lithuania, Belarus and Iraq, EURACTIV's media partner LRT.lt digs into the new migrant smuggling scheme.
EU condemns Belarus ‘pressuring’ Lithuania with migrants, says Michel
The European Union "speaks with one voice" in condemning a decision by Belarus to allow illegal migrants to cross into Lithuania in response to EU sanctions, European Council President Charles Michel said on Monday (5 July).
Undeclared conflict? America’s battles with Iran-backed militia escalate
US President Joe Biden’s latest strikes against Iran-backed militia in Syria and Iraq were not the first nor likely the last of his young presidency.
Vaccine doses pass one billion mark globally, but many nations lag behind
The number of Covid-19 jabs administered globally surpassed the one billion mark on Saturday (24 April), offering hope even as the number of virus cases worldwide hit a new daily record mainly due to an explosion of infections in India.
‘Peace more powerful than war’, Pope Francis says in Iraq’s ruined city of Mosul
Pope Francis heard Muslim and Christian residents in the ruined Iraqi city of Mosul tell of their lives under brutal Islamic State rule, blessing their vow to rise up from ashes and promising them “fraternity is more durable than fratricide.”
NATO to agree larger Iraq training force as violence rises
NATO defence ministers are set to expand the military alliance's training mission in Iraq once the coronavirus pandemic eases, senior officials and diplomats said, potentially cementing a broader role for the Atlantic alliance in the Middle East.
Islamic State claims Baghdad twin bombing that killed 32, wounded 110
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a twin suicide bombing that killed 32 people and wounded 110 at a crowded market in central Baghdad on Thursday (21 January).
Growing number of Turkish citizens apply for asylum in Germany
Since the attempted coup in Turkey in summer 2016, the number of asylum applications submitted by Turkish citizens in Germany has increased significantly. In 2019, Turkish asylum seekers were the third-most-registered group, after Syrians and Iraqis, according to the country's agency for migration and refugees (BAMF). EURACTIV Germany reports.
Russia joins UN’s appeal for global ceasefire, lists conflicts by name
Russia’s foreign ministry published a statement on Wednesday (25 March) urging all parties to regional armed conflicts to immediately stop hostilities, secure a ceasefire, and introduce a humanitarian pause, in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
NATO willing to expand Iraqi training mission to meet Trump demand
NATO is considering an increase to its training mission in Iraq to relieve the burden on the US-led coalition against Islamic State, senior officials and diplomats said on Tuesday (11 February).
Von der Leyen fails to convince that her Commission is ‘geopolitical’
New European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was put on the spot during her visit to Zagreb on Friday (10 January). Asked how she would prove that her Commission is ‘geopolitical’, given the EU's weak response to growing challenges in the region, von der Leyen failed to provide convincing answers.
NATO, EU call on Iran to avoid ‘further provocations’
Tehran should avoid “further violence and provocations”, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned Monday (6 January) evening following an extraordinary meeting between Alliance members, as tensions mount in the Middle East after US forces killed Iran’s top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani....
Iran’s supreme leader weeps as vast crowd mourns slain general in Tehran
Iran's supreme leader wept in grief with hundreds of thousands of mourners thronging Tehran's streets on Monday (6 January) for the funeral of military commander Qassem Soleimani, killed by a US drone on the orders of US President Donald Trump.
EU foreign ministers to hold emergency Iran talks on Friday
EU foreign ministers will hold emergency talks on the Iran crisis later this week on Friday as tensions rise after US forces killed an Iranian general in a drone strike, diplomats said on Monday (6 January).