Iraq is to plant 70,000 date palms south of Baghdad, hoping to revive production of a crop it was famed for across the Middle East. The country once produced three-quarters of the world’s dates but now accounts for just 5 percent after it switched its economic focus to oil and after decades...

A spokesman for the Iraqi military says security forces have found the bodies of eight people taken hostage by Daesh earlier this month. The kidnappings drew national attention amid worries about the lingering threat by Daesh militants. Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadadi said Tuesday the...

The Israeli military said early Wednesday that it conducted airstrikes on the Gaza Strip against two targets belonging to Hamas. On its Twitter account, the Israeli Defense Forces said it considered Hamas responsible for rockets allegedly fired towards Israeli territory, and as...

The U.S. is urging allies and companies to stop buying crude oil from Iran by November, according to reports Tuesday. A senior State Department official told reporters that companies could face U.S. sanctions if they do not end oil imports from Iran by Nov. 4 at the latest, the reports...