[citation needed] The channel received funding from the U.S. government and played a major role in reporting news surrounding the 2003 invasion of Iraq, including the execution of Saddam Hussein.

[5] On the eve of Kha b-Nisan in 2023, the head of IMN, Nabil Jassim, announced the launch of a new channel for Al Iraqiya that would broadcast in both Classical Syriac and contemporary Neo-Aramaic dialects.

The ceremony was attended by Minister Evan Faiq Jabro, as well as Greek Orthodox Priest Younan Al-Farid and a delegation of the General Directorate of Syriac Studies from the Kurdish region.

[7] Other officials and guests in attendance congratulated the network and the people involved on the launch, expressing their enthusiasm and the importance of maintaining the rich history of the region through the language.

The Media and Journalism Research Center noted that a majority of the board members of IMN, who controls the channel, were affiliated with Iran-backed militant groups, and those who publicly criticize the Iraqi government risk losing their jobs within the organization.

Observers noted how the change in graphics on Al Iraqiya, as well as pro-Sunni channels, reflected the sectarian divide between Sunnis and Shias post-2003.

[15] In the same year, the channel was also criticized for filming an interview with a former Yezidi sex slave, Ashwaq Haji Hamid, and a former ISIS member, Abu Hamam.