Mohammed Shia al-Sudani

Iraq’s militia state: Shelly Kittleson’s kidnapping exposes who runs Baghdad

BEHIND THE LINES: Since October 2023, forces associated with the PMF – that is, affiliated with the government of Iraq – engaged in ongoing attacks against US personnel and positions.

|ByJONATHAN SPYER
US JOURNALIST Shelly Kittleson is pictured in Baghdad on March 31, shortly before she was abducted. Her disappearance has focused attention on the threat posed by Iran-backed militias and the deteriorating security environment in postwar Iraq.
SMOKE RISES from the site of a drone crash on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq, March 12, 2026.

Iran-backed Iraqi militias attack Kurdistan over 450 times since beginning of war

“The attacks, carried out by Iran and its aligned Iraqi militia groups, have killed at least 14 people and wounded 85 others," Erbil-based Rudaw Media Network noted.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A protester holds an image of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite armed groups attempt to move toward the US embassy located in Baghdad's Green Zone, while riot police deploy to block their advance, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 1, 2026.

Iraq under pressure to curb Iran-backed militias after Rubio call - analysis

Iraq is now at a crossroads. Iran is increasingly turning Iraq into a battlefield. Iraq appears unwilling to rein in the militias in Iraq. Iraqis know the situation is dire.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
IRAQI LAWMAKERS attend the first session of the newly elected parliament, where members are set to be sworn in and begin the process of electing a speaker and two deputies, in Baghdad, Iraq, December 29, 2025.

Iraq faces political crisis as, months after elections, they still lack clear leadership - analysis

Months after an election in Iraq, there is still no new prime minister or president. The reason for this is that political parties cannot agree on who to appoint.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Iraq wraps up early voting as country braces for pivotal parliamentary elections

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani called the vote decisive for the country's long-term direction, as it comes amid political splintering, voter fatigue, and realignments among key factions.

NOVEMBER 10, 2025ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF
An Iraqi female security member votes at a polling station during a special voting, two days before the polls open to the public in a parliamentary election, in Najaf, Iraq November 9, 2025.

Iraq can disarm factions only when the US withdraws, prime minister says - interview

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani says a plan is in place for the multinational anti-Islamic State coalition to completely leave Iraq.

NOVEMBER 3, 2025ByREUTERS
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani attends an election rally for the Reconstruction and Development Coalition ahead of the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections in Najaf, Iraq, November 2, 2025.

US calls on Iraq to disarm militias, what’s at stake? - analysis

With heavy pressure from two opposing forces, it remains to be seen what Iraq’s response to Rubio’s call for disarmament will be.

OCTOBER 22, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN, ESTHER DAVIS, LEO FEIERBERG BETTER
Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani attends the 34th Arab League summit, in Baghdad, Iraq, May 17, 2025.