Death under the rubble: Gaza families trapped between ruins and winter seas

2026-01-13T15:58:22+00:00 font Enable Reading Mode A- A A+ Shafaq News– Gaza Walls in the Gaza Strip are no longer symbols of safety but have become a silent threat to those sheltering beneath... Read more »

Tax confusion hits Iraq’s imported medicine supply

2026-01-12T12:32:46+00:00 font Enable Reading Mode A- A A+ Shafaq News In Iraq, where the healthcare system depends heavily on imported medicines, even the suggestion of changes to customs tariffs can ripple quickly... Read more »

Tehran vs. Baghdad: Iraq’s armed factions face a strategic recalculation

Shafaq News The rapid escalation of regional tensions —driven by internal unrest in Iran, mounting international pressure on Tehran, and renewed warnings from Washington— has placed Iraq’s armed factions before one of... Read more »

Nouri Al-Maliki: A name that still divides and tests the politics of memory

Shafaq News For three days, Iraqi social media has churned with claims that the Shiite Coordination Framework has settled on former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki as their preferred candidate for the next... Read more »

Delayed reform or fiscal shock? Iraq’s tax measures test state capacity

Shafaq News Iraq’s recent tax and customs measures —introducing charges ranging between 5% and 30% on selected imported goods— have reopened a long-simmering debate over fiscal reform, placing the government at the... Read more »

“The world is changing”: Could Washington apply the Venezuela playbook to Iran?

2026-01-10T17:40:23+00:00 font Enable Reading Mode A- A A+ Shafaq News Within days, US foreign policy has shifted from issuing warnings to applying force through unconventional means, as the world watches developments in... Read more »

The $55 floor: Iraq’s salary safety net under strain

Shafaq News For millions of Iraqi households, the start of each month carries a single, overriding expectation: that state salaries will arrive, in full and on time. According to a 2024 report... Read more »

Lebanon links Iran ties to Hezbollah disarmament

2026-01-09T13:19:38+00:00 font Enable Reading Mode A- A A+ Shafaq News– Beirut (Updated at 18:00) Lebanon’s president and foreign minister told Iran’s foreign minister on Wednesday that although cooperation with Tehran is welcome,... Read more »

Iraq’s alcohol ban, one year on: How enforcement outpaced social policy

Shafaq News One year after Iraq moved to shut down alcohol shops and restrict sales inside social clubs, the debate has shifted beyond questions of morality or legality to a more difficult... Read more »

Iran’s protests between economic crisis and political contestation

Shafaq News Iran’s latest wave of protests has unfolded at the intersection of acute economic distress, contested narratives of legitimacy, and heightened regional and international scrutiny. While demonstrations were triggered by the... Read more »