Iraq in January 2026: the most important developments in security
Iraq's security agenda in January 2026 centered on the fallout from developments in neighboring Syria. Fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces blew up bridges over the Euphrates in Raqqa on 18 January, and on 22 January Iraq opened three prisons to hold Islamic State detainees from Syria while asking the European Union to take back its own citizens. The Iraqi prime minister pressed French President Emmanuel Macron on the same issue on 23 January. On 28 January Iraq warned of imminent security threats as questions mounted over escapes of Islamic State prisoners in Syria.
On 14 January Iraqi authorities arrested Kazem Hamad, an exiled gangland boss linked to tobacco disputes in the Australian state of Victoria, and a suspect wanted over an attack on a Melbourne synagogue. Iraq also arrested leaders of an alleged Iranian spy network, and reports said armed Kurdish groups tried to enter Iran from Iraq. Iraq denied that flights at Baghdad airport had been suspended amid fears of a US attack on Iran.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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