Azhar Al-Rubaie

Azhar Al-Rubaie is a freelance journalist based in Iraq. He has been working in the field of media since 2014. His writing focuses on politics, health, society, wars and human rights. Follow him on Twitter: @AzherRubaie

Author Articles

Youth frustrations. An Iraqi protester hides behind a wall during demonstrations in Baghdad, October 4. (AFP)
Iraqi demonstrators vow to continue protests ‘until government is changed’
October 05, 2019
Shadow war. Members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces at the scene of a drone attack near the Qaim border crossing in Anbar province, August 25. (AFP)
Iraq struggles to stay out of US-Iran conflict
August 31, 2019
An Iraqi man carries his sick child during a demonstration outside a children’s hospital in Basra to demand the delivery of medical supplies for cancer patients. (AFP)
Basra cancer patients decry poor health-care conditions
August 31, 2019
Plumes of smoke rise after an explosion at a military base south-west of Baghdad, August 12. (AP)
Explosion at Iraqi weapons depot sparks speculation about Israeli role
August 17, 2019
Family feud. Kurdistan Regional Government President Nechirvan Barzani delivers a speech during his inauguration in Erbil, June 19. (Office of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government)
Baghdad-Erbil disputes set to continue amid divisions in Kurdistan
August 03, 2019
Iraqi Shia cleric and head of Hikma party Ammar al-Hakim gives a speech in Najaf, last May. (AFP)
Hikma plans to become Iraq’s main opposition party but challenges abound
July 20, 2019
Family feuds. A cartoon depicting an Iraqi tribal leader with the words “Law of Basra” written above him in Arabic (Arkan Qasim).
Tribal feuds pushing many Iraqis to leave Basra
June 29, 2019
Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani during his inauguration ceremony, June 10. (DPA)
Nechirvan Barzani’s presidential pick draws mixed reactions from Iraqis
June 15, 2019
Limited options. Products on display at a shop in al-Ashar market in central Basra, May 9. (Maher al-Hashimi)
Iraqis complain Basra market filled with Iranian produce
June 01, 2019
Traumatic memories. A 2017 file picture shows an Iraqi woman and her child walking by the destroyed al-Nuri mosque while fleeing from the Old City of Mosul. (AFP)
Iraqis see Baghdadi’s video as threat of more terror
May 04, 2019
A boy plays the online game PUBG on his mobile phone. (AP)
Iraqi youth frustrated with video game ban
April 27, 2019
Left to their fate. Vehicles sit at the edge of a flooded area in al-Qurna district in the Iraqi province of Basra, April 10.(AFP)
Iraqis furious with militiamen aiding Iran while ignoring troubles at home
April 20, 2019
A new phase in relations. Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad Ali al-Hakim (C-L) raises the Saudi flag alongside Saudi Trade and Investment Minister Majid al-Qasabi (2nd-R) during the inauguration of the Saudi consulate compound in Baghdad, April 4. (AFP)
Iraqis welcome closer ties with Saudi Arabia in face of Iranian influence
April 13, 2019
A tragic blow. Iraqi rescue team members are seen at the site where an overloaded ferry sank in the TigrisRiver near Mosul, March 22. (Reuters)
Mosul ferry disaster illustrates Iraq’s wider problems
March 30, 2019
Official welcome cannot hide Iraqis’ misgivings about Rohani's visit
March 16, 2019
Cries of disillusionment. Protesters chant slogans in front of the provincial council building during a demonstration in Basra, February 1. (AP)
Iraqis in Basra call for federalism
March 09, 2019
Mixed reactions. Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Baghdad, January 28. (AP)
US military presence rattles Iran-linked militias in Iraq, not others
February 02, 2019
Members of Iraqi security forces at an oil field in Dibis area on the outskirts of Kirkuk. (Reuters)
Tensions rekindle in Iraq’s oil-rich Kirkuk
January 26, 2019
Down in the dumps. Iraqi students in the University of Mosul, January 16. (Moamin al-Obeidi)
Iraqi university students decry gender segregation
January 26, 2019
Fireworks erupt in the sky during the 2019 new year celebrations in the Iraqi southern city of Basra. (AFP)
What average Iraqis want for 2019
January 05, 2019