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    • .iq

    Country-code top-level domains

    Overview

    • .iq is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) assigned to Iraq.
    • Introduced into the DNS root zone on 9 May 1997.
    • Managed by the Communications and Media Commission (CMC) of Iraq.
    • Structure: mostly third-level registrations under labels such as .com.iq, .gov.iq, .edu.iq, with a small number of second-level registrations.

    History

    • 1997: The University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute (then performing IANA functions) approved establishment of the .iq ccTLD; delegation in May 1997.
    • Initial delegation was to the Alani Corporation / InfoCom Corp., with administrative/technical contacts tied to that organization.
    • Early 2000s: The ccTLD was largely inactive while operated by the original delegate.
    • 2004–2005: Legal actions and convictions involving InfoCom-affiliated individuals precipitated discussions about redelegation.
    • 2005: ICANN approved redelegation of .iq to the National Communications and Media Commission of Iraq (later named Communications and Media Commission, CMC).
    • Registry site and WHOIS: CMC operates a registration portal and WHOIS (examples given in source material: https://domain.iq/ and http://whois.cmc.iq/whois.jsp).

    Usage and Audience

    • Intended for entities connected with Iraq.
    • Common second- and third-level labels and intended use:
      • .iq — general
      • gov.iq — governmental entities
      • edu.iq — higher-education institutions
      • sch.iq — public and private schools
      • com.iq — commercial entities recognized by the Ministry of Trade or other authorities
      • mil.iq — military institutions
      • org.iq — non-profit organizations
      • net.iq — network service providers recognized by the Ministry of Trade
      • name.iq — individuals

    Registration Rules

    • Registrations are limited to entities and persons connected with Iraq, specifically:
      • commercial entities (recognized by relevant Iraqi authorities),
      • Internet service providers,
      • nonprofits,
      • schools and private institutions recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research,
      • natural individuals who are citizens or residents of Iraq.
    • No specific minimum/maximum registration periods or allowed-character rules are provided in the source material.

    Notable Cases or Examples

    • The original delegated manager (InfoCom/Alani affiliation) became the subject of legal action; a delegated manager was imprisoned in Texas on charges alleging connections to Hamas and was later convicted in 2005.
    • Convictions of InfoCom/associated individuals in 2004–2005 for various offenses contributed to the domain's period of inactivity under the original operator and led to the redelegation process to Iraq's Communications and Media Commission.

    Operator

    Communications and Media Commission (CMC)

    Whois

    % IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       IQ

organisation: Communications and Media Commission (CMC)
address:      Al-Masbah Hay Babel
address:      Dist. 929 St. 32 House 18
address:      Baghdad
address:      Iraq

contact:      administrative
name:         Administrative Role Account
organisation: Communications and Media Commission (CMC)
address:      Al-Masbah Hay Babel
address:      Dist. 929 St. 32 House 18
address:      Baghdad
address:      Iraq
phone:        +964 7904318951
fax-no:       +964 17195839
e-mail:       enquiries@cmc.iq

contact:      technical
name:         Technical Role Account
organisation: Communications and Media Commission (CMC)
address:      Al-Masbah Hay Babel
address:      Dist. 929 St. 32 House 18
address:      Baghdad
address:      Iraq
phone:        +964 7904318957
fax-no:       +964 17195839
e-mail:       it.iq@cmc.iq

nserver:      NS.CMC.IQ 194.117.57.105
nserver:      NS01.TRS-DNS.COM 2620:57:4001:0:0:0:0:1 64.96.1.1
nserver:      NS01.TRS-DNS.NET 2620:57:4002:0:0:0:0:1 64.96.2.1
nserver:      NSP-ANYCAST.CMC.IQ 194.117.58.42 2001:500:14:8001:ad:0:0:42

whois:        whois.cmc.iq

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: https://registrar.cmc.iq

created:      1997-05-09
changed:      2023-12-18
source:       IANA

    Registrars