Archiv: Shafaq.com (media)


29.07.2026 - 13:24 [ Shafaq News ]

Exclusive: Houthis claim Saudi attacks, offer PMF cooperation

A senior official in Yemen‘s Houthi movement said on Wednesday that the group, and not Iraq‘s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), carried out earlier attacks on Saudi Arabia, accusing Riyadh of blaming Iraqi factions for operations they did not conduct.

Abdullah Al-Numi, a member of the political bureau of the Houthi movement (Ansarallah) told Shafaq News that the PMF had repeatedly denied attacking Saudi Arabia, while his movement had openly claimed responsibility for earlier operations against Saudi ports and facilities, including sites in Yanbu and Jizan.

19.07.2026 - 16:09 [ Shafaq.com ]

Who is striking Iraqi Kurdistan? New drones deepen an unanswered question

The structural reason attribution stays murky is itself worth naming because the „Islamic Resistance in Iraq“ is not a single group but an umbrella of interchangeable front names, staffed largely by Kataib Hezbollah personnel, under which the harder-line factions operate. Attacks surface under disposable labels while the parent organizations issue denials, distributing deniability by design. In that framework, the absence of a claim is not evidence of an outside hand; it is the system working as intended.

Which leaves open a possibility that neither the proxy-signal nor the internal-defiance reading captures: that the strikes serve simply to manufacture instability in a region whose neutrality makes it a soft and symbolically useful target. When drones are intercepted over the cities, their debris cleared and their intended target never confirmed, even the object of the attack becomes a matter of inference.

16.04.2024 - 18:10 [ Shafaq.com ]

Tehran reverses course on Amir-Abdollahian‘s statements, confirms Shafaq News reports

Committee rapporteur Ali Nehmeh clarified to Shafaq News that „Iraq was taken by surprise by the timing of Iran‘s response and had no agreement with Tehran to allow Iranian drones or missiles through its airspace. The decision to halt air traffic came as a precautionary measure after the attack, with Iraq playing no role in Iran‘s actions.“

A government source familiar with the situation suggested that Tehran may have refrained from informing Baghdad of the attack‘s timing to prevent leaks, noting that Iran had notified several regional countries three days prior, as Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated.

16.04.2024 - 17:42 [ Shafaq.com ]

Iran-Israel conflict: Iraq caught in the crossfire

Dr. Al-Gharbawi stressed Iraq‘s pivotal role in managing the tensions by advocating for an independent position through official statements that condemn violence and extremism.

„This stance aligns with Iraq‘s historical position against normalization with Israel, highlighting a commitment to peaceful resolutions and adherence to international norms.“

Al-Gharbawi touched on Iran‘s psychological impact on Israel, noting that the Islamic Republic succeeded in creating panic and tension, prompting international reactions such as citizen evacuations.

„This psychological warfare, alongside military and diplomatic strategies, adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing regional dynamics,“ She added.https://shafaq.com/en/Report/Iran-Israel-conflict-Iraq-caught-in-the-crossfire

29.01.2024 - 09:27 [ Shafaq.com ]

Arrogance and fabrication after Iranian „rocket night“ on Erbil

Despite more than a week passing since the unexpected Iranian attack, with its timing, circumstances, and justifications, Iranian officials persist in claiming that the long-range missiles launched at civilian areas in Erbil were targeting „Mossad sites.“ However, Tehran has not provided any evidence or arguments to support this claim to either the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) or the Iraqi government.

The „escaping forward“ policy pursued by Iranian officials regarding the attack on Erbil amounts to an implicit admission of the invalidity of their justifications and the failure of the missile aggression itself.

24.01.2024 - 13:00 [ Shafaq.com ]

Iraq: A favored battleground for Tehran and Washington

The dual rebukes of Iran and the US underscore the tightrope Baghdad is walking as the war in Gaza seeps out beyond the besieged Mediterranean enclave’s borders.

Across the region, Tehran and Washington are flexing their muscles, vying to outflank each other in a deadly proxy war. The shadowy conflict has taken on different flavours that reflect local and geopolitical realities.