The story: In an apparent bid to open a new page after the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad, a senior Iraqi security delegation has met with the new Sunni Islamist rulers in Damascus. The outreach has triggered a backlash among prominent Shiite armed groups in Iraq. Viewing Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) as a sworn enemy, several Iraqi factions close to Iran say they strongly oppose any engagement with what is described as Turkey-backed “terrorists” in Syria. However, there are indications that normalization of dialogue with HTS is already taking place in Baghdad.

The coverage: Iraqi government spokesman Bassem Al-Awadi has stressed the security-focused nature of the talks with HTS leader...