Overview
- Analysts report direct Iranian involvement in Iraq’s parliamentary elections as the U.S. role wanes, with 7,700 candidates across 114 lists competing for 329 seats in a contest estimated to cost $3–5 billion.
- One analyst cited sightings of an Iranian embassy adviser moving between polling centers without formal authorization and described Iraq as a critical political and economic lifeline for Tehran.
- Sudan’s military leadership publicly rejected Quartet mediation and ceasefire proposals, with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and aides using hostile rhetoric as the toll from 32 months of war exceeds 150,000 dead and about 15 million displaced or affected.
- A Samoud coalition leader warned the army’s stance risks state fragmentation, backed the Quartet initiative as the most realistic path, and urged unified international pressure to open humanitarian corridors and secure a truce.
- The UAE consolidated regional roles as it was tapped to chair MENAFATF in 2026 and deepened ties with Cyprus, jointly backing a two‑state outcome for Palestine and calling out attacks on civilians in Sudan, while hosting high‑visibility events including a sold‑out UAE–Iraq World Cup playoff, the U‑17 World Cup knockouts in Doha featuring Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco, and the National Tolerance Festival in Abu Dhabi.