Iraq

A Baghdad official says the US military has completed its withdrawal from Iraq, ending a military presence that lasted more than two decades after the 2003 invasion. The claim, if confirmed, would mark a major shift in the US role in the region and in relations between Washington and Baghdad. Details on the timing, terms, and whether any US personnel remain under other arrangements are not yet clear.

The United States is withdrawing its troops from Iraq, prompting debate over what the departure means for American influence across the Middle East. Observers are weighing how the pullout could shift power dynamics in the region, affect Iraqi sovereignty and security, and reshape U.S. relationships with partners and rivals. The move has drawn attention from analysts tracking geopolitics in the Middle East.

A report argues that Iran's strategy of building influence beyond its borders through allied militias and partners in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen has become a central pillar of the regime's survival, but that this so-called strategic depth is now coming under serious pressure from military setbacks, economic strain and regional pushback. Analysts warn that weakening this external network could threaten Tehran's grip on power at home.

Iraq and the United States have agreed to resume shipments of US dollar cash into Iraq, according to Middle East Monitor. The agreement eases a disruption that had affected dollar supplies to Iraqi banks and the local currency market, where the greenback is widely used for trade and savings. Observers are watching whether the renewed flows will stabilise the Iraqi dinar and relieve pressure on the country's financial system.