An Iraqi military commander was dismissed early on Saturday after investigations confirmed the latest drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia originated from Iraq, according to a statement by Iraq‘s prime minister‘s office.
The commander led operations in Maysan province in southern Iraq, according to the statement.
Archiv: Westasien („Naher / Mittlerer Osten“) / West Asia („Near / Middle East“)
Iraq faces sovereignty test as US-led military coalition exit nears
(September 7, 2026)
The United States-led international military coalition will conclude its mission in Iraq by the end of this month, the country’s armed forces have confirmed to state media.
Lieutenant General Abdul Amir al-Shammari, director of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency on Monday, said September 30 is the date for the end of the mission of the international coalition forces in Iraq and the transition to a new chapter of relations and cooperation.
Report: Netanyahu Says 9/11 Terror Attacks Good for Israel
(April 16, 2008)
„We are benefiting from one thing, and that is the attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon, and the American struggle in Iraq,“ Ma‘ariv quoted the former prime minister as saying. He reportedly added that these events „swung American public opinion in our favor.“
Netanyahu reportedly made the comments during a conference at Bar-Ilan University on the division of Jerusalem as part of a peace deal with the Palestinians.
A DAY OF TERROR: THE ISRAELIS; Spilled Blood Is Seen as Bond That Draws 2 Nations Closer
(12. September 2001)
Asked tonight what the attack meant for relations between the United States and Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, the former prime minister, replied, “It‘s very good.“ Then he edited himself: “Well, not very good, but it will generate immediate sympathy.“ He predicted that the attack would “strengthen the bond between our two peoples, because we‘ve experienced terror over so many decades, but the United States has now experienced a massive hemorrhaging of terror.“
September 11, 2001: Former Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu: 9/11 Very Good for Israeli-US Relations
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when asked what the 9/11 attacks means for relations between the US and Israel, replies, “It’s very good.” Then he edits himself: “Well, not very good, but it will generate immediate sympathy.” [New York Times, 9/12/2001]
A week later, the Village Voice states, “From national networks to small-town newspapers, the view that America’s terrible taste of terrorism will finally do away with even modest calls for the restraint of Israel’s military attacks on Palestinian towns has become an instant, unshakable axiom.… Now, support for Israel in America is officially absolute, and Palestinians are cast once again as players in a global terrorist conspiracy.”
Secretive U.S. Base in Somalia Signals New Phase of War
The U.S. has described the dry and rugged mountains of northern Somalia as the main hub from which ISIS controls its global operations. Amid an increasing number of U.S. drone strikes and raids supporting the Somali government in the war against ISIS, the United States is now expanding its presence in the port city of Bosaso and effectively building a new military base, which will be used for combat and surveillance operations targeting “terror groups” in the region as well enhancing maritime security, according to Somali security officials in Puntland. The CIA will also expand its operations there, the officials said.
Merkley’s Response to Trump’s Submission of U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Deal to Congress
(August 28, 2026)
Washington, D.C. – Following the Trump Administration’s submission to Congress on a proposed U.S.-Saudi civil nuclear cooperation agreement, referred to as a “123 agreement,” Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—co-chair of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—issued the following statement:
“With this deal, President Trump is not only triggering a nuclear arms race in the Middle East but also weakening America’s security and standing on the world stage.
“The President’s decision to provide Saudi Arabia with a nuclear deal that does not meet the bipartisan Gold Standard nor mandate the Additional Protocol, both necessary to ensure sensitive U.S. technology is not used to help build a nuclear bomb, is dangerous and a strategic mistake for our national security.
US pounds Iran, Tehran strikes back at bases in biggest exchange since July
Iran responded by striking what it said were U.S. assets in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq, and said its aim was now to drive U.S. forces from the vast network of military bases they have occupied for decades across the Middle East.
this is the biggest blunder in American history. Mark my words
(December 9, 2023)
The Iran War Is Lose-Lose
The on-again, off-again conflict, characterized by tit-for-tat retaliatory strikes, is a lose-lose situation for both parties and for the region as a whole, yet we are unlikely to escape this tragic dynamic unless more realist strategic thinking prevails in both Washington and Tehran. Neither side can “win” this war, but they can cut their losses before they incur even higher human, financial, and military costs. The realist school of thought offers a compelling diagnosis of this conflict, and points the way to a mutually beneficial conclusion.
Folgen des Iran-Kriegs: Trump hat Amerikas Macht verspielt
Die Supermacht USA hat sich mit einer zweitklassigen Regionalgröße angelegt – und ist dabei unterlegen. Das hat geostrategische Folgen, die wir längst noch nicht alle begreifen. Am Persischen Golf sind die Amerikaner jetzt auf dem Rückzug, das Pentagon überlegt ernsthaft, die zerstörten Stützpunkte in der Region nicht wieder aufzubauen.
Pakistan works with Regional Allies to defuse US-Iran Tensions, Foreign Office says
Foreign Office spokesperson revealed that Dar held three telephone conversations with the Turkish foreign minister on August 17, 19 and 25, with the discussions centred on regional developments and the need to advance dialogue and diplomacy.
(…)
The diplomatic push gained further momentum with Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran on August 24. Andrabi said Pakistan had played a sincere role between Washington and Tehran and noted that the Iranian leadership had appreciated Islamabad’s efforts.
PM Shehbaz says Makkah defence pact aimed at peace, not aggression
ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the Makkah defence agreement is not aimed at aggression, but seeks to promote peace, security and prosperity in the region among the three countries.
Briefing the federal cabinet, the prime minister said the Makkah agreement was an extension of the defence cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, noting that the two countries had also signed a defence pact last year.
Iran’s Araghchi and German foreign minister discuss developments
Iran’s FM Abbas Araghchi has discussed regional and international developments with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul.
Their call came after Germany appeared to back Trump’s 15-point peace plan for Gaza, with a foreign ministry spokesperson saying the proposal could pave the way for the disarmament of Hamas.
Houthi attacks kill 11 in Yemen and target Saudi refinery
Strikes by Yemen‘s Houthis on Sunday killed at least 11 people, a medical source in the Yemeni port city of Mokha has told AFP, after an earlier drone salvo targeted a Saudi oil refinery on the Red Sea coast.
A years-long truce in Yemen‘s civil war between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed internationally recognised government appeared to collapse last month.
Iraqi factions to surrender weapons to PMF by Sept. 30
Iraqi political leaders agreed on a mechanism for armed factions to hand over their weapons to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which would register and store the arms under state supervision, a source in the leading Shiite Coordination Framework told Shafaq News on Sunday.
Under the agreement, the PMF —a state security organization comprising mostly Shiite armed factions— would take custody of the weapons, document their types and storage locations, and oversee any subsequent movement of arms or personnel under orders from the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Iraqi Prime Minister Stresses End of US Coalition Mission on September 30
In a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi emphasized that regional issues should be resolved through dialogue, while recalling the end date of the US coalition mission in Iraq.
He also announced September 30 as the final deadline for the withdrawal of US coalition forces from Iraq.
Iran Preparing To Fight A FOREVER WAR
Cenk Uygur and John Iadarola discuss how Trump’s war with Iran is pushing Tehran to dig in for a prolonged conflict.
Surprise strikes signal Iran is digging in for a long war
(August 6, 2026)
In recent weeks, Iran has gone on the offensive, striking commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and launching a surprise attack on U.S. forces in Jordan. From a distance, these moves look like self-defeating escalation. Why should a badly damaged state, under severe economic pressure, lash out at the U.S. instead of pushing for a ceasefire?
The answer, simply put, is that Iran is digging in for a long war. Whatever Washington‘s intentions, Tehran increasingly interprets sanctions, negotiations, temporary ceasefires and military strikes as different instruments aimed at a single objective: regime change.
As long as this primary objective remains, Iran expects no sanctions relief or meaningful de-escalation. My conversations with Iranian foreign policy analysts suggest that Tehran now believes the war will continue in different forms until the end of Donald Trump‘s presidency.
Der Iran wird zu einem Verlierer des Westasienkrieges
(July 19, 2026)
Irgendeine Gruppe oder Fraktion hat die Staatsführung des Iran übernommen, in deren Interesse nicht der Iran selbst, sondern die Fortführung des Krieges auf unabsehbare Zeit steht. Welche Rolle dabei der Sohn des in der ersten Angriffswelle auf den Iran am 28. Februar ermordeten „Obersten Führers“ („Supreme Leader“) Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei spielt, erscheint völlig unklar. Bisher ist er nicht in der Öffentlichkeit aufgetreten. Ausgerechnet über israelische Medien wird gestreut, dies werde so bleiben bis zum unabsehbaren Ende des Krieges. Die formal dem „Obersten Führer“ unterstellten Revolutionsgarden agieren gegen die iranischen Interessen. Gewinner des Krieges sind u.a. Ölmagnate, Kriegsproduzenten und der internationale geheimdienstliche Komplex, nicht zuletzt in der Russischen Föderation, sowie der zum Machterhalt auf Krieg und externe Bedrohung angewiesene Machthaber in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Dabei ist das Interesse der Kriegsgewinnler auf allen Seiten den Westasienkrieg insgesamt noch auszuweiten.
Houthi attacks on gov’t forces hint that a major battle in Yemen is brewing
Houthis’ expansion of cross-border attacks on government forces means the threat of all-out war between the two sides is no longer far-fetched.
Iraqi PM discusses security cooperation with Saudi general intelligence chief
Iraq’s Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, has discussed efforts to enhance regional security cooperation with Saudi Arabia’s general intelligence chief, Khalid bin Ali Al Humaidan, according to the Iraqi PM’s office.
Al-Zaidi reiterated Iraq’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Saudi Arabia and stressed Baghdad’s position that Iraq would not be used as a “launching pad” for activities harming any foreign state, his office statement said.
Withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq (2025–2026): July 2026: Complete Withdrawal Reaffirmed
During Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi‘s visit to Washington, the United States and Iraq reaffirmed that all remaining U.S. military forces would withdraw from Iraq by 30 September 2026, marking the end of the U.S.-led military mission in the country.
Wer will deutsche Soldaten im Libanon?
(August 14, 2006)
Eine Auflistung der Befürworter und Gegner der wichtigsten Entscheidung nach dem Irakkrieg
Iraq under regional pressure as neighbors threaten to strike Iran-aligned factions
(August 3, 2026)
Iraq is facing a fresh wave of regional pressure after Saudi Arabia struck sites inside the country and several neighboring states, including Kuwait, Jordan and Syria, warned Baghdad that any attack launched from Iraqi soil against their territory would be met with direct military retaliation against armed factions inside the country.
War on Iran: Saudi Arabia warns of imminent attacks by Iraqi groups and Yemen‘s Houthis
A senior Saudi official, speaking anonymously to Reuters late on Thursday, said intelligence gathered by Saudi Arabia, the United States and other countries in the region indicated that civilian and economic sites could be targeted.
The potential targets include energy infrastructure, ports and airports.
Saudi Arabia had detected the movement of drones and missiles, according to the official, suggesting preparations for attacks from Iraq to the north and Yemen to the south.
‘Attack on one is attack on all’: Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan sign landmark Mecca defence pact
“The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression” and stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three countries “would be regarded as an attack on all”, according to a joint statement cited by Reuters.
The pact brings together NATO member Turkiye, which has the alliance’s second-largest military, nuclear-armed Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, one of the Gulf’s most powerful states and the world’s leading oil exporters.
Houthi attacks on Yemeni government forces reportedly kills at least 30
The sources added that the casualty numbers were expected to rise.
Fighting in Yemen between the pro-Iranian Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces has intensified in recent weeks, after four years of relative calm.
Iran’s leaders show a united front over the war but are divided over what the goal is
On one side, the ultra-hardliners who oppose any negotiations with the United States are pressing for total victory in the war. Known as the “Paydari” movement – Persian for “stability” – they are hard-core ideologues who want to enforce the Islamic Republic’s control over society.
On the other, those who support President Masoud Pezeshkian and powerful parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf — who doubles as Iran’s chief negotiator — see military pressure as a way to win a negotiated deal with the United States. This camp is also spurred by concern over the economic toll Iran is suffering from the war and the need to adapt to social change in the country.
Saudi Crown Prince tells Trump focus must be on avoiding wider conflict
He also emphasized the need to make every possible effort to achieve de-escalation, paving the way for diplomatic solutions that would deliver positive outcomes, preserve the region‘s security and stability, and prevent the situation from escalating into a broader conflict with repercussions for regional and international security and stability.
US embassies tell Americans across Middle East to prepare to leave
The warnings, posted online simultaneously by missions in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, came a day after President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran „very hard.“ The alerts advised citizens to check flight schedules and prepare for potential airspace closures and travel disruptions.