Within Islam, Iran is a country apart
Rite & Reason: As we saw on this island, differences between denominations can soon wander beyond religion into the political
Iraq
Iran strikes border with Iraq to deter Kurds from supporting US and Israeli forces
US ready to provide air support if Kurdish fighters cross border from northern Iraq, US official says
Iran war: How Israel and the US are co-ordinating their attack
Israeli bombing of sites in western Iran has fuelled speculation that it is seeking to clear the path for a Kurdish advance
How Iran could wage a new ‘tanker war’
Since the US and Israel attacked Iran, Iranian forces have warned vessels against passing through the Strait of Hormuz
Iran executes Khamenei’s plan to spread regional war
Strikes on energy facilities and targets across Middle East form strategy devised to sow chaos in retaliation for US and Israeli attack
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, 1939-2026
Hardline cleric who led Islamic Republic since 1989 projected power across the region and suppressed protests at home
The Tony Blair Story: A master of spin who, in the end, was largely lying to himself
Blair emerges from this impressively wide-ranging documentary brimming with charm yet blank behind the eyes
Syria’s notorious open-air prison for thousands of suspected Isis detainees is now almost empty
Al Hol camp held tens of thousands of people accused of having Isis links
Life under Saddam Hussein: ‘A child being asked to bake a cake without flour or sugar was not absurd’
Hasan Hadi’s film The President’s Cake centres on a deceptively simple premise: every year, schoolchildren were selected to make offerings for Saddam’s birthday, an impossible burden
Trump issues warning as Maliki is nominated as Iraqi prime minister
Analysts warn Maliki nomination and US threats could destabilise Iraq amid regional tensions
Nael Bunni obituary: Engineer who became a leading expert in resolving construction industry disputes
Born in Iraq, he left Baghdad during Saddam Hussein’s regime after being asked to submit a false valuation for work
‘Every 10 years, US likes to pick up some crappy little country and throw it at the wall’
‘Every ten years, the US needs to pick some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall.’ This is at least part of the reason for the Venezuela operation
‘A black legal hole’: Europe criticised for leaving young citizens trapped in Syria
Western countries accused of washing their hands of their own citizens held in Syria
Global grub recipe: A stuffed dolma from Iraq for the whole family to enjoy
This is a traditional meal shared every Friday by the people of Mosul
Dick Cheney was the most influential and consequential US vice-president in living memory
The architect-in-chief of America’s ‘war on terror’ was later vilified for relentlessly hawkish foreign policy
‘It was a horrifying scene’: Fire in Iraqi shopping centre kills at least 69
Survivors climbed from the roof of the Corniche Hypermarket in al-Kut city with the help of rescue teams
Kurdish militants burn weapons in Iraq to start disarmament after decades of insurgency against Turkey
PKK decided to end its separatist struggle after public call to do so from its long-imprisoned leader
PKK to destroy weapons
Turkey, US and EU may lift designation as a terrorist group following destruction of arms
US is again betting that installing ‘our sonuvabitch’ will neutralise an adversary. It never does
Every 20 years the US and Israel attempt to remake the Middle East - always with catastrophic consequences
Two tribes: How Israel and Iran became enemies
The likelihood is that much of Iran’s nuclear capabilities remain intact, and despite calls for regime change there is no sign of Iranians rising up
‘Axis of Resistance’ in no position to help Iran
Self-preservation and national interest mean regional allies can do little more than express support
UN nuclear watchdog says Iran is in breach of negotiations
US pulls embassy staff from Middle East as threats emerge over potential Israel attack on Iran
Robert Pether’s wife shocked by his emaciated condition after he spent four years in an Iraqi jail
Engineer, who lived in Co Roscommon, was released on bail having spent four years in an Iraqi jail after a contract dispute
Robert Pether released on bail after four years in Iraqi jail
Australian citizen who had been living in Ireland was imprisoned over contract dispute with employer
The Great Betrayal: The Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in the Middle East by Fawaz A Gerges – engaging read for seasoned observers
The scope is perhaps too broad, and the prose a little dry, for this book to appeal to the general reader
‘Dedicated to the oppressed, refugees and marginalised’: How Pope Francis is remembered in Middle East
Late pontiff visited nine countries in the region and north Africa, cultivating ties between Christians and Muslims
If Warfare’s not an anti-war film, what is? Apocalypse Now? Don’t make me laugh
Most sensible people might be anti-war, but just as many are in favour of certain wars. And pacifism just doesn’t make for good cinema
Warfare review: Few US war films have come this close to acknowledging the true suffering of combat
Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza bring us within the US combatants’ claustrophobic bubble during the Iraq War
Britain to host international summit to combat people-smuggling gangs
Ministers and enforcement staff from 40 countries to meet over two days
The secret history of Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa
Is the man once known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani intent on moderating or a brutal strongman?
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis: A comedy about a rehabilitation programme for Islamic State brides
This smart, punchy book is destined to spark conversation, says Naoise Dolan. It deserves to be a massive hit
‘We’ve become used to being betrayed’: US aid cuts affect camps for people accused of Isis affiliation
Trump spending freeze threatens security arrangements and could make it harder to stop resurgence of Islamic State
Trump’s adoption of imperial manner is a function of failure
The essential question for Ireland is: to grovel or not to grovel?
Pope Francis says he escaped suicide bombing during visit to Iraq in 2021
Francis made the revelation in his upcoming autobiography, Spera (Hope), due to be published in January
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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