Iraq Unity

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  Iran's Rouhani Calls For Unity To Face "Unprecedented" US Pressure

  President Hassan Rouhani called on Saturday for unity among Iran's political factions to overcome conditions which he said may be harder than those during the 1980s war with Iraq, state media reported, as the country faces tightening US sanctions.

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  India Seeks Iraq Help In Release Of 39 Abducted Indians

  India has sought the release of 39 Indians abducted in Iraq while expressing support for "unity and territorial integrity of Iraq", the External Affairs Ministry said on Monday.

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  Leaders Urge Restraint After Assassination in Iraq's Kirkuk

  Political leaders in Kirkuk today urged restraint and unity after the assassination of a top Sunni Arab politician in the northern Iraqi city sparked fears of a flare-up.

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  Al Qaeda Leader Urges Unity to Confront Threat From Russia in Syria

  Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslim supporters to band together to confront the threat from the West and Russia in Syria and Iraq, the latest recording suggesting greater unity between Al Qaeda and Islamic State.

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  Iraq's Unity 'Voluntary and Not Compulsory': Kurdish Leader Masoud Barzani

  The unity of Iraq "is voluntary and not compulsory," the head of the country's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region said on Wednesday, while stressing the Kurds had no immediate plans to break away from the central government in Baghdad.

• John Kerry, Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi Embrace Unity to Defeat Insurgency

  With a new Iraqi government finally in place and a growing Mideast consensus on defeating insurgent threats, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Iraq's Shiite leader on Wednesday to quickly deliver more power to wary Sunnis - or jeopardize any hope of defeating the Islamic State group.

• Top Iraqi Cleric Backs New Premier, Calls For Unity

  Iraq's most influential cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, threw his weight on Friday behind the new prime minister, calling for national unity to contain sectarian bloodshed and an offensive by Islamic State militants that threatens Baghdad.

• Sunnis, Kurds Abandon Iraq Parliament After No Replacement for PM Maliki Named

  Newly elected Iraqi lawmakers convene on Tuesday, under pressure to name a unity government to keep the country from splitting apart after an onslaught by Sunni Islamists who have declared a "caliphate" to rule over all the world's Muslims.

• Iraq Lawmakers Convene to Form New Government in Battle With 'Caliphate'

  Newly elected Iraqi lawmakers convene on Tuesday, under pressure to name a unity government to keep the country from splitting apart after an onslaught by Sunni Islamists who have declared a "caliphate" to rule over all the world's Muslims.

• British Foreign Secretary William Hague Arrives in Baghdad, Urging Unity in Face of Jihadists

  British Foreign Secretary William Hague made a surprise visit to Baghdad on Thursday to urge leaders to unite in the face of a Sunni militant offensive that threatens Iraq's existence.

• US Secretary of State John Kerry in Baghdad on Mission to Shore up Iraq

  US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Baghdad on Monday on a mission to push for Iraqi unity and stability to confront a militant offensive threatening to tear the country apart.

• Sunni Militants Seize More Iraq Towns as US Presses Unity

  Sunni militants advanced through west Iraq after seizing a strategic Syria border crossing, as US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in the region Sunday aiming to bridge widening rifts.

• France for Unity Government in Iraq 'With or Without Maliki'

  France on Friday called for the formation of a unity government in Iraq with or without Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to fight Sunni jihadists advancing towards Baghdad.

• US Vice President Joe Biden Calls Three Iraqi Leaders to Urge Unity Against ISIS Insurgents

  US Vice President Joe Biden spoke with three key Iraqi leaders on Wednesday to urge unity against insurgents led by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and to emphasise the need to form an inclusive government after national elections held on April 30, the White House said.

• UN Chief Urges Iraq National Unity Against Threats

  U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is "gravely concerned" at the situation in Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, which has been largely overrun by al-Qaida-inspired militants and is urging all political leaders to unite against the threats facing the country.