Iraq

Policy Analysis on Iraq

What Do Iran’s Protests Mean for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region?

Internal instability in Iran may cause significant religious, economic, and political repercussions across the border in Iraq.

Jan 17, 2023

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Zubir R. Ahmed
Nawzad Shukri

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Militia Spokesmen Reflect on Sudani Inviting U.S. Forces to Remain

Asaib Ahl al-Haq is signaling pragmatism, while Kataib Hezbollah is contorting its arguments to allow it to play along, albeit without explicitly accepting a U.S. military presence.

Jan 17, 2023

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Ameer al-Kaabi
Michael Knights
Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight

Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), walk together near Baghouz, Deir Al Zor province - source: Reuters

Fikra Forum

Turkish Drone Strikes and Building Concerns About Washington in Syria’s Autonomous Administration

Some U.S. allies believe the Biden administration has been noticeably muted regarding Turkey's escalations in northern Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Jan 11, 2023

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Baraa Sabri

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Muqawama Lauds "Resistance Government" in Iraq

Pro-militia parliamentarians and journalists have become increasingly open about what they expect the Sudani government's role to be: a cover for the muqawama.

Jan 11, 2023

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Hamdi Malik
Crispin Smith

◆ Militia Spotlight

Crown Prince Muhammad and President Xi walking in Riyadh.

Brief Analysis

Assessing Xi Jinping’s Middle East Trip

His discussions on nuclear proliferation, energy markets, defense cooperation, and other issues offered numerous contrasts with President Biden’s summer meetings in Saudi Arabia—as well as some unexpected criticism of Iran.

Dec 22, 2022

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Grant Rumley
Carol Silber
Eric Feely
Sarah Cahn
Sude Akgundogdu
Lauren von Thaden
Faris Almaari

Fikra Forum

PUK and KDP: A New Era of Conflict

As divisions between the PUK and KDP grow, the Kurdistan region stands to lose its economic and political stability.

Dec 21, 2022

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Nawras Jaff

Leaders assemble for the France-sponsored Baghdad Conference in August 2021 - source: Government of Iraq

Brief Analysis

A Baghdad Summit in Amman: Implications for Regional Stability

The French-sponsored event could be a welcome starting point for wider cooperation between Iraq’s new government and its Arab neighbors—particularly Jordan—but only time will tell whether agreements made there come to fruition.

Dec 19, 2022

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Louis Dugit-Gros
Ghaith al-Omari
Bilal Wahab

Fikra Forum

Activist Haidar al-Zaidi’s Prison Sentence and Growing Pressures on Iraqi Activists

Despite claiming to defend free speech, the Iraqi government is increasingly targeting critics and protestors with arrests and lengthy jail sentences.

Dec 16, 2022

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Azhar Al-Rubaie

Fikra Forum

Perpetrators of Stephen Troell’s Killing in Baghdad Remain Unknown

The circumstances surrounding Troell's death in November clearly indicate that the murder is tied to political infighting and the ongoing issue of armed militias in Iraq.

Dec 15, 2022

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Mohanad Faris

Kurdish protesters killed by the Iranian regime

Video

Brief Analysis

Kurds Against the Iranian Regime: Internal and Regional Implications

Activists and experts discuss what Washington can do to curb Tehran’s violent campaigns against Kurdish populations at home and next door in Iraq.

Dec 13, 2022

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Abdullah Mohtadi
Shukriya Bradost
David Pollock

Articles & Testimony

The Paradox of Centralization and State Fracture in Iraq

Decentralizing power would have been the best way of avoiding a return to Saddam-era authoritarianism and corruption, but Baghdad has favored centralization instead—while simultaneously fissuring the state through sectarian patronage and competition.

Dec 9, 2022

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Bilal Wahab

Photo showing 1983 terrorist attack at U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.

Video

Brief Analysis

Hezbollah Turns 40: Implications of the Group’s Internal, Regional, and Strategic Shifts

Four experts assess Hezbollah's impact at home and abroad after decades of political maneuvering, military operations, and criminal activity.

Dec 2, 2022

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Hanin Ghaddar
Matthew Levitt
Mona Fayad
Akeel Abbas

Fikra Forum

KRG and PA: Reprioritizing Governance over Symbolism

Although Palestinian and Kurdish politics have similarly deteriorated into ineffective blame games, fresh U.S. policies focused on institution-building could restore the promise of progress in both cases.

Dec 2, 2022

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Ghaith al-Omari
Bilal Wahab

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

"Sudani Is a General Manager": How Militias View Iraq's New Prime Minister

Militia leaders have stated that his authority will be limited to technocratic and bureaucratic matters, while they will dictate the country's strategic direction and security decisions—including the future U.S. presence in Iraq.

Dec 1, 2022

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Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Kataib Hezbollah and Kaf Celebrate Attacks on Americans

The militia's media channel has been praising past Iranian-aided terrorist acts that killed and wounded U.S. military personnel in Iraq—and linking them to current activities.

Nov 30, 2022

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Michael Knights
Aya Yousuf
Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight

Articles & Testimony

Saving Iraqi Sovereignty: Iran, Turkey and a Fractured Homeland

There are ways for the new prime minister to reinforce Iraq’s independence after a series of foreign attacks, but they will be complex and painful.

Nov 27, 2022

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Bilal Wahab

Palestians on a Mediterranean beach in Gaza

Brief Analysis

Changing Population Patterns Will Reshape the Middle East

Several of the region’s demographic heavyweights will be surpassed, and major shifts at the global level may affect how great powers vie for influence there as well.

Nov 22, 2022

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Patrick Clawson

Fikra Forum

The System and the Parallel System in Iraq

Instead of blaming the untested constitution for government failures, Iraqi politicians must look inward to the corrupt parallel system that undermines national politics.

Nov 22, 2022

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Bjar Sharif

Fikra Forum

Iranian Protests and Attacks on KRI: An Attempt to Deflect from Domestic Turmoil

Iran's repeated attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq represent the regime's efforts to both distract from internal opposition and disrupt external opposition support.

Nov 21, 2022

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Nawras Jaff

New Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani attends the first regular session of the Council of Ministers in Baghdad in November 2022 - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Who Is Mohammed Shia al-Sudani?

A closer look at the new prime minister’s political career, past affiliations, and key cabinet picks as he attempts to balance relations with pro-Iran groups and wary U.S. officials.

Nov 18, 2022

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May Kadow
Erik Yavorsky

Supported by the

Rubin Family Arab Politics Program

The Washington Institute's Rubin Family Arab Politics Program focuses on social, political, and economic developments in the Arab world, with an emphasis on the Arab countries of the Levant.

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Featured experts

Michael Eisenstadt

Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program.

Michael Knights

Michael Knights is the Jill and Jay Bernstein Fellow of The Washington Institute, specializing in the military and security affairs of Iraq, Iran, and the Persian Gulf states. He is a co-founder of the Militia Spotlight platform, which offers in-depth analysis of developments related to the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria.

Bilal Wahab

Bilal Wahab is the Nathan and Esther K. Wagner Fellow at The Washington Institute.

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Policy Analysis on Iraq

Rubin Family Arab Politics Program

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Iraq

Policy Analysis on Iraq

Rubin Family Arab Politics Program

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