BasNews English

Independent News Agency based in Erbil, Kurdistan Region.

[BasNews English @EnglishBasNews]

The United States military has rejected Iranian state media claims that American warships came under fire in the Gulf of Oman, calling the reports "completely fabricated” as tensions in the region continue to escalate alongside an expanding maritime confrontation. https://t.co/gnWtNHBFcF

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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday accused Iran of using Lebanon as a bargaining tool in its negotiations with the United States, arguing that Lebanese citizens are bearing the cost of regional power struggles. https://t.co/LdXMq6psLv

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At least 80 prisoners, including 17 political prisoners and two foreign nationals, were executed in Iranian prisons during May 2026, according to a monitoring group. https://t.co/JhcjcPjjaW

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Hezbollah has rejected a US-brokered ceasefire agreement announced a day earlier between Israel and the Lebanese government, calling the proposal a form of surrender and insisting that any truce must include a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory. https://t.co/SKdhMvb70L

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The defense team of jailed opposition leader Lahur Sheikh Jangi and his associates has warned of what it described as a looming collapse of the judiciary in Sulaymaniyah, accusing armed forces affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of using the high-profile "Lalezar” case to settle political disputes and undermine judicial independence.

https://t.co/UgAs6mUyff

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The Iraqi government has stepped up efforts to restore oil exports from the Kurdistan Region, with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi leading a high-level meeting on Thursday aimed at addressing concerns raised by international oil companies and accelerating the return of production and exports.

https://t.co/aDWlSnVOlA

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Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), on Thursday received Turkey’s Ambassador to Iraq, Anıl Bora İnan, for talks focused on regional developments, relations between the Kurdistan Region, Baghdad and Ankara, and efforts to strengthen cooperation amid ongoing challenges in the region.

https://t.co/XYh1r3Lig0

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The Republican-led US House of Representatives approved a resolution on Thursday seeking to block President Donald Trump from continuing the war against Iran, highlighting growing concerns among some members of his own party over the conflict, which has now entered its fourth month.

https://t.co/pFKTyjjaQ0

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One of Iraq’s armed factions backed by Iran, Kataib Hezbollah, confirmed on Thursday that the five resistance factions do not intend to surrender their weapons at the present time, stressing that any regulation of arms would come only after their objectives have been achieved.

https://t.co/Y0D0rigXBo

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Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday received Turkey’s Ambassador to Iraq Anıl Bora İnan and Consul General Erman Topçu for talks focused on expanding economic and energy cooperation between Erbil and Ankara. https://t.co/J3cIillVca

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Iraq’s Joint Operations Command has announced a sweeping plan to bring all armed formations under full state control, stating that every force operating outside the regular army structure will be integrated into the Iraqi Armed Forces. https://t.co/NPhaJKh8vG

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Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said Iraq is facing an ongoing economic crisis, while stressing that the Kurdistan Region can play a key role in helping stabilize the country’s finances and energy sector, as relations between Erbil and Baghdad show signs of renewed cooperation. https://t.co/n9jfpyxFGp

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#BREAKING

PM @masrourbarzani extended condolences on the passing of Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammed Ishaq al-Fayadh, expressing sympathies to Iraq’s supreme religious authority, the Iraqi people, and Muslims worldwide.

“We pray to the Almighty Lord to bestow His vast mercy upon the deceased, and to grant his family and loved ones patience and solace,” PM Barzani said.

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The first Kurdish Book Fair opened in Erbil on Thursday, bringing together publishers, writers and intellectuals from across Kurdistan in a major cultural event showcasing approximately one million Kurdish-language books and more than 10,000 titles. https://t.co/t9vZqoC0v8

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Fighters from Saraya al-Salam handed over their weapons and ammunition to Iraqi security forces in the city of Samarra on Thursday, becoming the first faction within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to formally surrender its arsenal under Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi’s campaign to consolidate all weapons under state control. https://t.co/wDk8Htj2t3

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The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Finance and Economy on Thursday issued a detailed rebuttal to criticism from opposition figures regarding the Region’s domestic revenues, accusing them of misinterpreting official financial data and spreading inaccurate information. https://t.co/2Oa851Irpd

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Kurdish leader @masoud_barzani on Wednesday pushed back against what he described as misleading political narratives surrounding the weapons of the Peshmerga, stressing that the force’s true strength lies in its history, sacrifices, and commitment to the Kurdish people rather than in military equipment alone. https://t.co/CfN1V9875N

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#BREAKING

Kurdish leader @masoud_barzani has addressed recent political tensions, firmly rejecting false narratives regarding Peshmerga weaponry.

He declared that the Peshmerga's true weapon is not iron or ammunition, but rather their history of sacrifice, dignity, and unwavering loyalty to the people and land of Kurdistan.

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Iraqi telecommunications company Korek Telecom has sharply escalated its dispute with the country’s regulatory authorities, accusing the Communications and Media Commission (CMC) of deliberately obstructing its operations and attempting to force it out of the market. https://t.co/gmPchZN8nL

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Kuwait on Wednesday expelled two Iranian diplomats and summoned Tehran’s chargé d’affaires after a missile attack on Kuwait International Airport killed one person and wounded dozens, escalating tensions between Iran and Gulf states and raising fresh concerns over the durability of a fragile regional ceasefire. https://t.co/vAxPFe3fwD