Search
21 to 30 out of 53
Results
As Iran comes under increased pressure from geopolitical rivals regarding sanctions, oil, and the nuclear deal, it has turned to hard power to assert its regional influence and hide its nerves.
As Russia’s war in Ukraine rages on, soaring food prices and rampant corruption have sparked nation-wide protests in Iraq, threatening the government’s already faltering domestic credibility.
Iraq's highest court has thwarted the ambitions of both Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, creating the circumstances for continued instability in Iraqi political affairs.
The political instability that has wrangled Iraq since October's elections has spilled over into the Gulf, as Iran-backed Iraqi and Yemeni groups target the UAE.
Iran views Iraq as its most important foreign policy arena and maintains excellent and deep ties with every faction. In other words, whoever wins in the Iraqi elections, Iran wins.
In the two years since Qasem Soleimani's assassination, Iran has failed to fill the void left by its mastermind strategist and is struggling to maintain its grip on the lynchpin of its regional influence - Iraq.
The US has announced the official end to combat missions in Iraq, but after decades of military interventions and political instability, the future of Iraq's fragile political system is hanging by a thread.
While the prime minister emerged unscathed, the attack itself has been viewed as a deadly message designed to re-establish Shia militia dominance after they were trounced in elections.
The Islamic State has attacked a number of Iraqi military and security positions, as well as targeting Shia civilians in the eastern Diyala governorate, triggering extrajudicial and retaliatory killings by Shia militias aligned with the government.
It is already clear that Iraqi politics is suffering from a serious crisis of legitimacy and a failure to act soon may mean that democracy – such as it ever was – may lose the ability to be resuscitated and reformed at all.