Security

Basra tanker attack marks deepening crisis for Iraq oil sector

Iraq is facing a widening array of security threats and economic consequences from the Iran war.

Iraqi ports director Farhan al-Fartousi (right) conducts an inspection on March 12, 2026, of the site of an Iranian attack on oil tankers the previous night. (Photo credit: General Company for Ports of Iraq)

Mar 3, 2017

Kurdish rivalries combust in deadly Sinjar battle

Proxy forces backed by Kurdistan's ruling KDP party and the PKK fought a four-hour battle Friday, foreshadowing a new phase of volatility for territory liberated from IS.

Mar 2, 2017

UPDATE: Armed political faction interrupts Kirkuk exports

The "Black Force" special police unit of the PUK party briefly took over Kirkuk's IT-1 facility - a sign of deteriorating intra-Kurdish political rivalries.

Feb 28, 2017

Inside the black heart of IS’s oil sector

On the Mosul outskirts, the IS group's Iraqi oil refining hub – recently seized by Iraqi forces – shows how the militants used savvy management to fuel their killing machine.

Feb 27, 2017

One dead in Bai Hassan oil field bombing

Two IED attacks have hit northern Iraqi oil fields in the past week.

Feb 25, 2017

Iraqi forces breach western Mosul

Backed by U.S. special operations advisors and coalition air power, Iraqi forces enter a new phase of intense urban combat.

Feb 23, 2017

Oil Police expose potential Basra refinery threat

At a checkpoint outside one of Iraq's largest refineries, canine units catch suspected IS operatives driving a tanker truck.

Feb 15, 2017

Assassination and bombings roil Basra

After gunmen killed the general secretary of Hizbollah Iraq's Basra branch, and amidst a spate of IED bombings, paramilitary groups threatened to take security matters into their own hands.

Feb 13, 2017

Fatal explosion at Bai Hassan field

Three workers died when a leaky storage tank exploded at the largest oil field operated by the KRG.

Jan 26, 2017

Q&A: Lt. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari, senior Defense Ministry advisor

Gearing up for the security challenges that will come after the Mosul operation, Iraq's military remains optimistic that U.S. support will continue under Trump.

Jan 26, 2017

Insurgent attacks continue in northern Iraq

From a stronghold in the Hamrin mountains, IS guerrillas launch more deadly raids, hitting security forces and energy infrastructure.