As Iraq’s parliament set its late-August agenda without the Popular Mobilization Forces law, questions arose over whether Shiite factions had bowed to U.S. pressure and abandoned legislation they once pledged to force through.

The Trump administration is moving quickly to implement its plan to deport undocumented migrants to third countries rather than sending them back to their homelands, with Africa at the center of the effort.

Another round of consultations is expected to restore relations between Russia and the U.S. to normal, a development that could have implications for foreign affairs in countries where Moscow and Washington continue to influence political and security stability, notably Syria.

Days after Iranian officials rejected calls to dissolve the PMF, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, arrived in Baghdad on August 11, 2025, for a three-day visit to sign a joint security memorandum.

Lawmakers, legal experts, and human rights organizations have voiced concern over the expanded role of the military in domestic affairs, warning that Trump could use the same approach to exert control over other states whose Democratic governors defy his orders.