Khanaqin (Arabic: خانقين;[2] Kurdish: خانەقین, romanized: Xaneqîn[3][4]) is the central city of Khanaqin District in Diyala Governorate, Iraq, near the Iranian border (8 km) on the Alwand tributary of the Diyala River.

[5] Khanaqin is situated on the main road which Shia pilgrims use when visiting holy Islamic cities.

[6][7] The main tribes of Khanaqin include Kalhor,[8] Feyli,[9] Zand,[10] Malekshahi[11] Suramiri,[12] Arkavazi[13] and Zangana.

[14] The city experienced Arabization during the Saddam era, but this has been substantially reversed after the fall of the regime in 2003 and remains disputed.

[20] However, the Russians succeeded in capturing the town in April 1917 due to Ottoman weakness and collapse of the Iranian government.

[23] Khanaqin saw no fighting during World War II but became an important base for Commonwealth forces and a field hospital was constructed in the town.

Many Polish prisoners of war, who escaped Russia and attempted to link up with Commonwealth forces in Khanaqin, arrived at the town in September 1942.

[29] In the December 2005 parliamentary election, the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan won the city with 99.4%.

[30] In the same year, locals protested and wanted Khanaqin to be a part of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region under PUK rule.

[1][39] Khanaqin mayor Muhammad Amin Hassan Hussein stated in 2014 that the Arab population fell to 1% in 2003.

He brought a number of architects from Isfahan to Khanaqin and the bridge was built using walnut wood imported from Iran.