Iraq’s drone strike probe found the attacks came from an Iran-aligned militia inside the country, but the government has avoided naming those responsible, raising suspicions of a political cover-up.

Salim Ahmed Said, also known as Salem Omeid, is one man with two names who has been making headlines across Iraq since early July 2025 after the U.S. Treasury blacklisted him as an Iraqi businessman allegedly leading a “shadow fleet” smuggling Iranian oil.

A rare and intense clash erupted between security forces and a local tribe in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, after Khurshid Herki — a leading tribal figure — openly defied authorities during an attempted arrest tied to a tribal dispute.

International warnings continue to mount over Syria’s growing inability to secure enough wheat to provide bread for its people, due to the impact of war and climate change.

The supportive position taken by Arab countries toward Iran during the Israeli aggression has sparked questions about whether Tehran is undergoing a shift in its regional policy.