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Iraqi News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Iraqi News
US Embassy reaffirms commitment to Iraq amid regional tensions
Baghdad ( – The United States Embassy in Baghdad has confirmed that its operations, as well as those of the U.S. Consulate General in Erbil, remain unchanged despite the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel that has placed Iraq in a delicate position at the heart of regional tensions. In a statement issued today, the Embassy said: 'The operating status of Embassy Baghdad and Consulate General Erbil is unchanged. The U.S. remains strongly committed to advancing our policy priorities in Iraq, strengthening Iraq's sovereignty, and engaging with Iraqi leaders and the Iraqi people.' The reaffirmation comes as the Iran-Israel conflict enters its second week, with a series of strikes exchanged between the two rivals raising fears of a broader regional escalation. Iraq, which maintains close ties with both the United States and Iran, has found itself in an increasingly precarious position, geographically and diplomatically, as its airspace and territory have come under scrutiny amid the tensions. Despite the volatility in neighboring countries, Iraq has remained largely stable since the outbreak of hostilities. While U.S. military installations in Iraq were reportedly targeted by drones early in the conflict, no major disruptions or escalations have followed. The Embassy's statement appears intended to reassure both Iraqi citizens and international observers of continued diplomatic engagement and support for Iraq's sovereignty during this sensitive time. U.S. officials have repeatedly emphasized the importance of Iraq's stability and role in regional security.
Iraqi News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Trump says two weeks is maximum for Iran decision
Morristown – President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran had a 'maximum' of two weeks to avoid possible US air strikes, indicating he could take a decision before the fortnight deadline he set a day earlier. Trump added that Iran 'doesn't want to talk to Europe,' dismissing the chance of success in talks between European powers and Iran in Geneva on resolving the conflict between Israel and Iran. Trump also played down the possibility of asking Israel to halt its attacks, after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would not resume talks with the United States until Israel relented. 'I'm giving them a period of time, and I would say two weeks would be the maximum,' Trump told reporters when asked if he could decide to strike Iran before that. He added that the aim was to 'see whether or not people come to their senses.' Trump had said in a statement on Thursday that he would 'make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks' because there was a 'substantial chance of negotiations' with Iran. Those comments had been widely seen as opening a two-week window for negotiations to end the war between Israel and Iran, with the European powers rushing to talks with Tehran. But his latest remarks indicated that Trump could still make his decision before that if he feels that there has been no progress towards dismantling Iran's nuclear program. Trump dismissed the chances of Europe making a difference, saying the talks between Britain, France, Germany and EU diplomats and Tehran's foreign minister 'didn't help.' 'Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this,' Trump told reporters as he arrived in Morristown, New Jersey. Asked if he would ask Israel to stop its attacks as Iran had asked, Trump said it was 'very hard to make that request right now.' 'If somebody's winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody's losing, but we're ready, willing and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens.'
Iraqi News
9 hours ago
- Business
- Iraqi News
Liverpool complete record swoop for Wirtz from Leverkusen
Liverpool – Liverpool completed the blockbuster signing of Germany forward Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen on Friday in a deal which could reportedly rise to a Premier League record fee. It was reported in England that the Premier League champions will pay an initial £100 million ($134 million) for Wirtz, comfortably surpassing their own record outlay. A further £16 million in performance-related add-ons would make it a British record deal. However, reports in Germany suggested the fee could be even higher, starting at 130 million euros (£111 million, $149 million) with add-ons taking it to 150 million euros. One of European football's elite young stars, Wirtz has been hailed as one of the 'best in the world' by former Leverkusen coach and ex-Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, who is the new boss of Real Madrid. 'I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League,' Wirtz told the club's website. 'In the end, we want to be successful. Last season they won the Premier League so my goal is for sure to win it again and also to go further in the Champions League. I'm really ambitious.' The 22-year-old played a crucial role in Leverkusen's greatest season as they claimed a first-ever Bundesliga title and the German Cup in 2023/24 without losing a single game under Alonso. Their only defeat that season, during which Wirtz was crowned Bundesliga player of the year, came in the Europa League final to Atalanta, denying Leverkusen a memorable treble. Bayern Munich restored their grip on the German game last season, with Leverkusen a distant second, and Wirtz is joining an exodus from the BayArena. Netherlands defender Jeremie Frimpong has already made the move from Leverkusen to Liverpool last month. After largely keeping their powder dry in the transfer market during Arne Slot's first season in charge, the Reds are splashing out to strengthen a side that romped to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title. Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is poised to make the move to Anfield in a £40 million deal. Liverpool have also been linked with Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi. Where Wirtz's fits into Slot's plans remains to be seen. He largely played behind a central striker at Leverkusen and has operated from a wider role for Germany. A return of 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 games for Leverkusen is evidence that he carries a threat both as a creator and a goalscorer. Liverpool are already blessed with an abundance of forward options, with Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo all offering a goal threat. However, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa now face even stiffer competition to get into Slot's starting line-up, raising the prospect of Liverpool selling some of that trio to free up further transfer resources.
Iraqi News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Arab ministers meet in Istanbul at Iraq's request over Iran-Israel conflict
Istanbul ( – Arab foreign ministers convened in Istanbul on Friday for an emergency meeting requested by Iraq to address the escalating Iran-Israel conflict and its potential impact on regional stability. The meeting came ahead of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit scheduled for the weekend and focused on the ongoing air war, which began on June 13 when Israel launched strikes, claiming Iran was nearing nuclear weapons capability. Tehran responded with immediate retaliatory attacks, marking the most serious confrontation between the two rivals to date. The Istanbul talks aimed to form a unified Arab position on the crisis and explore ways to contain further escalation. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held separate talks in Geneva with his British, French, and German counterparts before joining the broader OIC discussions.
Iraqi News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Iran missile barrage leaves 19 injured in Israel's Haifa: hospital
Jerusalem – Missiles fired from Iran on Friday left at least 19 people injured in the northern Israeli port of Haifa, a local hospital said, on the second week of war between the arch foes. Iran has been firing daily missile salvos at Israel for the past week, since a wide-ranging Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic's nuclear installations and military bases triggered war. At least one projectile appeared to evade Israel's air defences, slamming into an area by the docks of Haifa where it damaged a building and blew out windows, littering the nearby ground with rubble, AFP images showed. A spokesman for the city's Rambam hospital said 19 people had been injured, with one in a serious condition. Earlier, Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service reported two people had been injured by falling shrapnel after the attack but did not specify the location. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement that Haifa's Al-Jarina mosque 'was struck by an Iranian missile, injuring Muslim clerics and worshippers at prayer'. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar later shared a similar message on social media, adding that 'the Iranian regime is targeting Muslim, Christian and Jewish civilians, as well as civilian sites. These are war crimes.' A military official said that 'approximately 20 missiles were launched towards Israel' in the latest Iranian salvo. Around 20 minutes after the air raid sirens were activated, the army released a statement saying people were allowed to leave bomb shelters. Earlier Friday, sirens rang out in parts of the country following another Iranian missile launch. AFP footage showed police operating in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, alongside emergency response teams and bomb disposal expert. Security forces there inspected a crater near residential buildings, where the wreckage of charred cars lay below the mangled metal of destroyed balconies. The Soroka Hospital in the city was struck on Thursday, injuring 40 people. Israel, saying Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, launched a massive wave of strikes on June 13, triggering an immediate retaliation from Tehran. Residential areas in both countries have suffered, while Israel and Iran have traded accusations of targeting civilians. At least 25 people have been killed in Israel by Iranian missile strikes, according to authorities. Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians.
