Iraq will not be negatively affected by the weakening of Iran's influence in the Middle East, Iraq's deputy parliament speaker said, with Baghdad looking to chart its own diplomatic path in the region and limit the power of armed groups.

Iran holds tremendous sway inside Iraq despite the presence of US troops, setting up a tug-of-war for the incoming Trump administration.

A fire at Iraq's Rumaila oilfield was brought under control on Friday, the country's oil ministry said in a statement, adding that there were no serious injuries.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Sunday ordered the recruitment of more Christians into Nineveh’s local police force, building on efforts over the past two years to integrate Christian recruits into the security apparatus.

Iraq’s poverty and unemployment rates declined in 2023 due to government measures, the planning ministry spokesperson announced on Sunday. This comes amid the country's preparations to release the detailed results of a recently-conducted census.

Two Iraqi border guards were killed on Friday during a clash with fighters from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Iraq's interior ministry said.

Thousands of Shiite pilgrims are marching in Iraq dressed in black, heading on foot toward the golden twin-domed shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim in the northwestern Baghdad district of al-Kadhimiyah.

A fire broke out at a crude processing unit at Iraq's Rumaila oilfield on Friday and fire crews were trying to bring it under control, three energy sources told Reuters. Operations at the field have not been affected,

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Iraq on Sunday for talks with officials on the fight against Kurdish militants, security issues and bilateral ties, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Saturday.

Following meetings with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein in Baghdad, Fidan met with the president, prime minister and Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, Speaker of the Council of Representatives of Iraq, as part of his high-level contacts in the country, according to diplomatic sources.

The ongoing oil dispute between Baghdad and Kurdistan intensifies as US intervention sparks backlash and highlights the power struggle over oil resources and regional autonomy.

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s prime minister said he was “surprised” by changes to an approved plan for oil production costs and the Iraqi parliament not voting on it this week, potentially creating a fresh hurdle in restarting exports that have been halted for almost two years.