Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah leader Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi has warned that regional oil and gas installations could come under attack if the United States enforces its threats over the Strait of Hormuz. His statement, published by Iran’s IRNA news agency, said that if Washington attempts to forcibly open the strait, no oil or gas platform would remain intact.

Al-Hamidawi further expanded the warning to include American infrastructure in the region, declaring that US power plants are legitimate targets and that there would be no limits in such actions. He emphasized that either security will be ensured for all parties or none will have security.

The statement, reported by Al Jazeera, reflects heightened rhetoric amid ongoing regional tensions involving Iran, the United States, and allied groups operating across the Middle East.

Iraq has opened a new overland energy route to export oil to Europe through Syria, marking a significant shift in regional energy logistics. The Iraqi State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) Director General Ali Nazar said a deal has been reached to export 50,000 barrels per day of Basra Medium crude via Syria, with plans to increase the volume later. The oil will reach European markets through Syria’s Baniyas port.

According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, convoys of fuel trucks have already begun entering Syria through the Al-Tanf border crossing, signaling the country’s reemergence as a key transit hub. The Syrian Petroleum Company stated that the imported oil will first be stored and then transported to Baniyas for export. Communications Director Safwan Sheikh Ahmad said the first convoy includes 299 tankers and described the initiative as an important step in restoring Syria’s role in the regional energy corridor.

The development comes amid ongoing Middle East tensions, potentially reshaping trade and energy supply routes across the region.

The United States Embassy in Baghdad has issued an emergency alert warning that attacks could occur within the next 24 to 48 hours. According to the embassy statement released on Thursday, Iran-backed militia groups may be planning assaults in central Baghdad. Potential targets include US citizens, businesses, universities, diplomatic facilities, energy infrastructure, hotels, airports, and other sites linked to the United States. Iraqi government institutions and civilian areas were also cited as being at risk.

The statement noted that such militias have previously attempted to kidnap American citizens, referencing an incident two days earlier in which a US journalist was abducted in Baghdad. In light of the deteriorating security situation, the embassy urged all American citizens to leave Iraq immediately.

The alert underscores heightened security concerns in Baghdad as tensions involving Iran-backed groups continue to pose threats to US-linked entities and local institutions.

A drone strike hit the Sarsang oil field in Iraq’s Kurdish region on Wednesday, according to a Reuters report. The attack occurred in Duhok province, but no casualties have been reported so far. The incident adds to a series of recent drone-related disruptions in the region’s energy infrastructure.

Iraq’s National News Agency stated that a similar drone attack had earlier targeted the Lanaz oil refinery in Erbil city. Following that strike, all operations at the refinery were suspended. The latest attack underscores ongoing security concerns surrounding vital oil facilities in northern Iraq.

Authorities have not yet provided details about the source of the drones or the extent of the damage, leaving questions about the broader impact on oil production and regional stability.

Iraq has secured a place in the upcoming FIFA World Cup after a 40-year absence, defeating Bolivia 2–1 in the intercontinental playoff final. The victory completed the list of 48 participating teams. Despite missing direct qualification from the Asian region, Iraq fought strongly in the playoff to achieve their goal. Coach Graham Arnold had earlier highlighted the players’ strong desire to reach the World Cup.

In the decisive match, Iraq took the lead in the 18th minute through Ali Almahadhi, but Bolivia equalized in the 38th minute via Moises Paniagua. Aymen Hussein restored Iraq’s lead in the 53rd minute, securing the win. This marks Iraq’s second World Cup appearance, the first being in 1986. Coach Graham Arnold also achieved a rare feat by leading a second nation, after Australia, to World Cup qualification.

The 2026 World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Iraq, placed in Group I, will face France, Norway, and Senegal, starting their campaign against Norway on June 16 in Foxborough.

A US female journalist has been kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq, according to the United States. The journalist, identified by media outlets as Shelly Kittleson, was reportedly abducted by a suspected Iran-backed Iraqi armed group. The US State Department said it is working urgently to secure her release. Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson wrote on social media platform X that an individual linked to the Iran-backed militia group Kataib Hezbollah has been detained by Iraqi authorities in connection with the kidnapping.

Iraq’s Interior Ministry confirmed that security forces arrested one suspect and seized a vehicle used in the abduction. However, the ministry did not disclose the identities of either the victim or the perpetrators. Kittleson, a freelance contributor for Al-Monitor, Foreign Policy, Politico, and the BBC, is based in Rome but frequently travels across the Middle East to report from conflict zones in Syria and Iraq.

Authorities in both countries continue to coordinate efforts to locate and rescue the journalist, though no timeline for her release has been provided.

Iraq reported that a rocket attack on a Baghdad air base destroyed one of its Air Force’s Antonov AN-132 military transport aircraft. The incident occurred at the Martyr Muhammad Ala Air Base, part of Baghdad Airport, around 1:55 a.m. local time. The Iraqi Defense Ministry condemned the strike as a “criminal and cowardly act” aimed at undermining the country’s military institutions and defense capabilities. No casualties were reported.

According to the ministry, the rocket was launched from the outskirts of Baghdad using a 122-millimeter projectile. Security agencies have begun investigating the damage and tracing the source of the attack. BBC Persian’s Middle East correspondent Nafisa Kohanavard noted that this was the first time any part of the Iraqi Air Force at Baghdad Airport had been targeted. It remains unclear whether the strike was deliberate or accidental.

Earlier, media outlets linked to Iran-backed groups had reported rocket attacks on the nearby Nasr Base, also known as Victoria, which has frequently been targeted since the start of the ongoing conflict.

Iraq’s Ministry of Defense reported that rockets struck the Mohammed Alaa Air Base, located near Baghdad International Airport, on Monday morning. The attack destroyed one aircraft but caused no casualties. Authorities are assessing the extent of the damage and investigating the source of the rockets.

Earlier, an Al Jazeera correspondent in Baghdad reported hearing loud explosions, which were later identified as rocket fire targeting the U.S. ‘Victory Base’ about 20 kilometers west of the capital. The air defense system failed to intercept the rockets, which hit an Iraqi special forces A32B transport aircraft, setting it ablaze.

The incident adds to ongoing security concerns in Iraq, where military facilities near Baghdad continue to face periodic rocket and drone attacks, prompting renewed scrutiny of regional defense readiness.

A rocket attack struck the United States' former 'Victory Base' military facility located about 20 kilometers west of Baghdad, Iraq, on March 30, 2026. Loud explosions were heard across the capital, and reports confirmed that the rockets hit an Iraqi special forces A32B transport aircraft, setting it on fire. The air defense system failed to intercept the rockets. According to Al Jazeera, this marks the first attack on the Victory Base, which no longer hosts any US troops.

The incident carries symbolic significance, as the base was once considered one of Iraq’s most secure and protected areas during the height of the US military presence. The attack highlights a shift in the security landscape, with even previously fortified sites now vulnerable to strikes. Throughout the night, US aircraft were seen flying over Baghdad.

In a separate incident, a drone attack targeted the US embassy in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdish autonomous region. Air defense systems successfully intercepted the drones, preventing damage.

Air strikes in northern Iraq on Saturday killed three members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) and two Iraqi police officers, according to Iraqi security sources. The attacks targeted the PMF’s headquarters near Kirkuk Airport and another site in Mosul, wounding several others. The PMF, now part of Iraq’s regular army, blamed the United States and Israel for what it called a “treacherous Zionist-American” assault. The strikes came as the US-Israeli war on Iran continued to spill over Iraq’s eastern border.

Al Jazeera reported that Iraq is becoming an expanding battleground in the conflict that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The PMF, originally formed in 2014 to fight ISIL, includes factions loyal to both Baghdad and Tehran, complicating Iraq’s position between the two powers. Baghdad is struggling to balance its ties with both the United States and Iran amid the escalating violence.

In the Kurdish region, two drones targeted a US-led coalition base near Erbil Airport, while another drone struck the home of Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani in Duhok. Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani condemned the attack and urged Baghdad to act. French President Emmanuel Macron described the rising attacks in Iraq as a worrying development.

The United States Embassy in Iraq has instructed American citizens to leave the country due to ongoing risks from missile, drone, and rocket attacks in Iraqi airspace. The advisory also urged citizens to avoid visiting the embassy in Baghdad or the consulate general in Erbil. With air routes closed, travelers were advised to exit Iraq by land through Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, or Turkey.

According to the new security alert, Iran-backed armed groups have been carrying out widespread attacks across Iraq, including the Kurdish region, targeting American citizens and sites linked to Washington. The embassy’s directive reflects heightened security concerns amid escalating regional tensions.

The situation underscores the growing instability in Iraq and the broader region, with potential implications for diplomatic operations and civilian safety if the attacks continue.

British forces stationed at a joint base in Erbil, northern Iraq, shot down 14 drones in a single night, marking the highest number of interceptions in recent weeks. The operation took place overnight and was carried out by members of the Royal Air Force Regiment using the Rapid Sentry air defense system to secure the base.

According to the report, the Erbil base has faced repeated drone attacks over the past three weeks, reportedly launched from Iran. The British troops’ actions were part of ongoing defensive measures to protect coalition facilities in the region.

The incident underscores the continuing security challenges in northern Iraq, where foreign military installations remain frequent targets of drone assaults.

According to AFP citing a security official, Iran carried out a missile strike in northern Iraq on Monday night, killing six Kurdish security personnel in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. The official, who requested anonymity, said two people remained missing and 22 others were injured following the attack. Kurdish media outlet Rudaw, quoting regional forces, reported a slightly lower death toll of five.

AFP further reported that six ballistic missiles were launched by Iran targeting Peshmerga forces in Iraqi Kurdistan. Iranian media stated that the operation was conducted by the drone unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ground forces in the Erbil area.

The differing casualty figures and limited official statements indicate uncertainty about the full scale of the attack and its aftermath.

A total of fifteen members of Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi, including a commander, were killed in an attack in western Iraq on Tuesday, according to a statement from the group. The statement, cited by AFP from Baghdad, said the strike targeted an operations center in Anbar province and described it as a 'treacherous American attack.' The new death toll updates an earlier report that had listed seven fatalities.

Hashd al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), is a former paramilitary coalition that has since been integrated into Iraq’s regular armed forces. The organization includes factions with pro-Iranian affiliations, and it accused the United States of responsibility for the latest strike.

The statement did not provide further details about the nature of the attack or the U.S. response, leaving uncertainty about the broader military or political consequences of the incident.

A commander of Iraq’s former paramilitary coalition Hashd al-Shaabi and several fighters were killed in an airstrike in western Iraq’s Anbar province, the group said on Tuesday. The strike hit a base during a commanders’ meeting, and a group source blamed the United States for the attack. According to the source, seven members were killed and 13 others injured. The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), as the group is also known, confirmed the death of Anbar province commander and operations chief Saad Dawai al-Bayji and condemned the attack.

The PMF is part of Iraq’s regular armed forces but includes several Iran-backed brigades. Iraqi authorities have repeatedly condemned attacks on the group since the start of the ongoing conflict that began after Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran on February 28. Iran-aligned militias in Iraq and the region have claimed responsibility for attacks on U.S. interests, prompting retaliatory strikes.

Last week, the Pentagon acknowledged for the first time that U.S. helicopters had been used in operations against Iran-backed groups in Iraq during the current conflict.