EXCLUSIVE: Pentagon axes Peshmerga pay in Iraq anti-ISIS aid shift

Shafaq News – Washington Washington is preparing its largest cut in military funding to Iraq since launching its anti-ISIS support program in 2014, according to exclusive Pentagon documents obtained by Shafaq News.... Read more »

Why Iraq’s PMF disarmament is a different battle from Lebanon’s Hezbollah

Shafaq News The Lebanese government’s decision to restrict all weapons to state control—including those held by Hezbollah and other non-official armed groups—has sparked strong internal and regional debate. The United States welcomed... Read more »

Syrian government rejects outcomes of SDF-backed conference in Hasakah

2025-08-09T08:53:14+00:00 font Enable Reading Mode A- A A+ Shafaq News – Damascus The Syrian government has rejected the outcomes of the “Unity of Stance” conference held in Hasakah, saying its proposals undermine... Read more »

Faith and finances: Religious tourism fuels Iraq’s economy

Shafaq News In a country still recovering from decades of war, religious tourism has quietly grown into one of Iraq’s most consistent and resilient economic sectors. Each year, millions of pilgrims travel... Read more »

Israel approves plan to seize Gaza City, prompting sharp domestic backlash

2025-08-08T06:22:58+00:00 font Enable Reading Mode A- A A+ Shafaq News – Gaza Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan on Friday proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to establish military control over Gaza... Read more »

Kurdistan’s fading footsteps: The last cobbler of Sabunkaran

Shafaq News – Al-Sulaymaniyah Each morning, before the market stirs to life, Saman Saeed unlocks the wooden door of his workshop in Sabunkaran (Sabun Karan), a historic open-air market known for its... Read more »

Khor Abdullah: A waterway entangled in sovereignty disputes and legacy of invasion

Shafaq News – Baghdad The maritime channel of Khor Abdullah, located at the southern edge of Iraq’s Basra province and separating Iraq’s al-Faw Peninsula from Kuwait’s Bubiyan Island, has once again returned... Read more »

Iraq’s water dilema: Basra looks to Istanbul for answers

Shafaq News – Basra Basra Governor Asaad al-Eidani’s recent visit to Turkiye has drawn mixed political reactions across Iraq, particularly in the southern province he represents. Some officials view the trip as... Read more »

Iraq security sweep: ISIS operative captured, terror plot foiled

2025-08-06T21:37:55+00:00 font Enable Reading Mode A- A A+ Shafaq News Below is a summary of key security and public safety incidents reported across Iraq on August 6, 2025. – Café Closed Over... Read more »

Iraq’s water crisis deepens: Reserves collapse, mismanagement continues

Shafaq News Iraq is spiraling deeper into a water crisis as climate extremes, state mismanagement, and declining river inflows from upstream neighbors threaten to push the country toward environmental and humanitarian breakdown.... Read more »