<p>Iraq is not situated directly on active fault lines; however, its proximity to Iran and Turkey, both of which have active fault zones, exposes the country to the potential threat of destructive seismic hazards. The November, 12th in 2017 earthquake with its precise epicenter situated in Iran, close to the Iran-Iraq border, about 32 km south of Halabja city in Iraq's Kurdistan region, caused significant damage in Iraq, including the destruction of significant numbers of buildings and the loss of nine lives. Despite the significant consequences of these impacts, a comprehensive study to systematically assess and document the failures and damages has not yet been conducted. This research aims to bridge that gap in Iraq, specifically highlighting weaknesses in the emergency response sector to natural hazards and straightforwardly classifying failure types. This study focuses on investigating the failure modes and causes of damage in concrete buildings in two heavily affected areas, Halabja and Darbandikhan, in northern Iraq. The investigation found that 17 structural concrete and large buildings were damaged, with 35% reaching the threshold of partial collapse. Among these, 35.29% suffered damage due to the weak column-strong beam principle, identified as the primary cause of failure. Additionally, deficiencies in detailing and construction errors were the second most common cause, contributing to the destruction of 29.41% of the buildings. Moreover, three major factors were responsible for the damage or collapse of masonry residential buildings: lateral wall slipping, diagonal shear cracks, and foundation tilting, which were commonly observed in the affected masonry buildings. The results of this study provide valuable lessons to inform future construction efforts and improve building design processes to enhance structural resilience against seismic events in Iraq.</p>