Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Baghdad Says September 30 is the Starting Point, Not Deadline for Militia Disarmament – On August 26, Qasim al-Araji, a senior security adviser to Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, said that September 30—the date set for the departure of the international coalition—will be a starting point, rather than an endpoint, for the government’s […]
Month: August 2026
ISHM: August 13 – 20, 2026
Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Zaidi Faces Militia Threats Over Disarmament Push; Iran’s Ghalibaf Presents Tehran’s Proposal for Compromise – On August 13, the Badr Organization warned Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi against moving too quickly to satisfy U.S. demands to place all weapons under state control. Badr official Mohammed Naji said the state and the “resistance” should […]
ISHM: August 6 – 13, 2026
Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Iraq-Saudi Security Talks Focus on Drone Attacks; Anti-Corruption Campaign Targets First Significant Shia Figure; Zaidi Seeks Legislative Support for Militia Disarmament – On August 7, Saudi intelligence chief Khalid bin Ali al-Humaidan arrived in Baghdad for talks with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and to extend a new invitation to visit Riyadh after […]
Iraq’s Turbulent Season: War, Militias, and Political Change
The past several months have been among the most consequential Iraq has faced in years. Since the Iran war began on February 28, Iraq has been pulled deeper into a conflict it did not choose. Military confrontations have spilled onto Iraqi territory, while disruptions to oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz have exposed just […]
ISHM: July 30 – August 6, 2026
Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Government Increases Pressure on Intransigent Militias to Disarm as Neighbors Warn of Retaliation if Attacked Again – On August 5, Iraq’s State Administration Coalition, which comprises the country’s main governing parties, reaffirmed its support for the government’s efforts to bring all weapons under state control and stressed that Iraqi territory must not […]
Join Team EPIC in Support of the Iraqi Children Foundation’s Annual 5K
Join Team EPIC on August 29 at Burke Lake Park—or virtually from anywhere—for the Iraqi Children Foundation’s annual 5K supporting vulnerable children across Iraq.