Soleimani and Muhandis were key figures in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. They were assassinated in a drone attack on January 3, 2020, ordered by former US President Donald Trump

Turkey claimed that it was targeting the YPG, the armed wing of the Kurdish Democratic Party (PKK), which it blamed for attacks in Istanbul last week. The PKK has denied any responsibility for the attacks

Three years after a wave of protests rocked Iraq, not much has changed with respect to the structure of the economy or political system. A new government is finally in place but faces numerous challenges

The appointment of al-Sudani is expected to end three years of political uncertainty in Iraq following the nationwide popular protests that broke out in October 2019, forcing the then elected government to resign

New President Abdul Latif Rashid immediately designated Shia al-Sudani as prime minister, whose nomination had earlier led to violent clashes in the country leaving dozens of people dead 

At least 30 people were killed and over 700 injured in clashes between security forces and Sadr’s supporters who had entered and captured government buildings inside the high security Green Zone in Baghdad 

Rania Khalek of BreakThrough News explains the latest developments in the political crisis in Iraq. Uncertainty continues in the country with no government having been formed since the the election of October 2021

In a speech on August 3, Sadr asked his supporters to continue their sit-in inside the Iraqi parliament building and rejected calls for dialogue issued by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi 

The protesters opposing the government formation efforts of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani stormed the high security Green Zone in Baghdad to demand the cancellation of his prime ministership.

While asking the demonstrators to maintain peace, Moqtada al-Sadr called the sit-in a “golden opportunity” to “fundamentally change the political system and the constitution” of the country

The protesters were supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, whose party members resigned from the parliament earlier this year after failing to win enough support to form a national majority government 

During a special session of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, UN Special Representative in Iraq Jeanine Hennis Plasschaert said that the Turkish attack on Zakho in Iraqi Kurdistan earlier this month showed “shocking disregard for civilian life”