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Iraq is using Baathist-era laws to indict critics, prompting anger that penal codes imposed by a dictatorial regime are being used to crush dissent.
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.
![Demonstrators gather to protest against assassinations of civil activists at Tahrir Square in Baghdad, Iraq on 25 May, 2021. [Getty]](/sites/default/files/styles/large_16_9/public/2021-06/GettyImages-1233096236.jpg?h=199d8c1f&itok=0vweoGsP)
The arrest of a prominent commander of the Popular Mobilisation Forces has triggered a tense standoff between the Iraqi government and Iran-backed militias.
In the days following Pope Francis' visit, two high profile abductions and killings of activists and dissidents' family members brought Iraq's perennial problems with militia violence roaring back into focus.
![Members of Iraq's PMF march in a symbolic funerary parade in Baghdad on 29 June, 2021, in remembrance of those killed in a recent US raid. [Getty]](/sites/default/files/styles/large_16_9/public/2021-06/GettyImages-1233712994.jpg?h=903dff9f&itok=kJT7O4hP)
US airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias call into question Iraqi sovereignty, as the nation grapples with public discontent over issues such as corruption and poor service provision.
![A fighter in Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces stands guard next to a wall showing the group's logo outside their headquarters in the capital Baghdad on 13 June, 2021. [Getty]](/sites/default/files/styles/large_16_9/public/2021-06/GettyImages-1233432915.jpg?h=a9b1ba5e&itok=1IpXkGJi)
The release of a prominent PMF commander, along with subsequent PMF celebrations and attacks on US interests, have further eroded trust in the Iraqi state's ability to rein in violent militias.
Turkey is facing a dual threat from Kurdish militants and Iran-backed militias amid its military operation in northern Iraq.
The Syrian economy has not looked in a worse position for decades with few options for the bankrupt regime.