The United States, Britain and France have begun to offer food, water and other badly needed supplies to displaced civilians stranded by Islamic State (IS) militants in mountainous northern Iraq.
Hundreds of thousands of Iraq's religious and ethnic minorities, faced with death threats and forced conversions, have begun their exodus from their regional homelands since Islamic State militants seized their towns and villages in northern Iraq early in June.
Kurds retake two towns from IS in northern IraqKurdish forces retook two towns from the Islamic State militants in northern Iraq on Sunday as the U.S. military continued to launch airstrikes against targets of the extremist group, local media reported.
U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday evening that he has authorized targeted airstrikes and airdrops of aid in Iraq amid a humanitarian crisis.
Iran will never allow any plan aimed at disintegrating Iraq and separating parts of the country to take place, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Sunday.
Iran is sending drones and military equipment secretly into Iraq to help the Shiite-led government in Baghdad cope with an ongoing offensive by the Sunni militants, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
The White House said on Monday that the American troops to be sent to Iraq as advisors to make an assessment of how best to help cope with Islamic militants have been offered protection by the Arab country.
Washington is considering airstrikes to quell Islamic extremists rolling through northern Iraq, but the situation is fraught with both political and military pitfalls, and there are no clear answers on the best path forward for the United States.
The United States is prepared to send up to 300 military advisers to Iraq to train, advise and support Iraqi forces in their fight against insurgency, U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday.
The Iraqi government has requested U.S. airstrikes to help it put down the advancement by Sunni insurgents, but senior U.S. defense officials said Wednesday that a clearer picture of the situation on the ground as well as clear objectives is required before any airstrikes or other military intervention.
After hours of flip-flop, India finally confirmed Wednesday that 40 of its nationals working for a Turkish construction company were abducted in violence-hit Iraq.
Saudi Arabia said on Monday it rejected any foreign intervention in Iraq's domestic affairs as the country is trying to turn around a worsening security situation, according to an official statement.
The White House said Monday that it was deploying up to 275 U.S. soldiers in Baghdad for the security of the U.S. Embassy there amid concern over a militant group's advancement toward the Iraqi capital.
The New Zealand government on Friday expressed "deep concern" over the recent violence and serious deterioration of security in northwest Iraq, which has been overrun by militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday voiced "deep concern" about the worsening situation in Iraq, saying President Barack Obama will make "key decisions in short order."
The United States has raised concerns about the reported arms deal between Iraq and Iran "at the highest levels" with the Iraqi government, the White House said Tuesday.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden held telephone talks Sunday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, underscoring American support for Iraq in its fight against an al-Qaida-linked group.
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