Iraq caught between US and Iran, facing attacks from both warring sides & Iran-aligned actors within

Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Hayder Al-Shakeri, Research Fellow with the MENA programme at Chatham House. Al-Shakeri describes Iraq as a state navigating a precarious balance between two powerful allies whose conflict is increasingly unfolding on its own territory.

Key takeaways

Quick scan — what you need to know:

• Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Hayder Al-Shakeri, Research Fellow with the MENA programme at Chatham House.
• Al-Shakeri describes Iraq as a state navigating a precarious balance between two powerful allies whose conflict is increasingly unfolding on its own territory.
• This position is not merely diplomatic but deeply structural, rooted in economic dependence, security arrangements, and geographic realities that bind Iraq simultaneously to both Washington and…
• The lack of strong institutions, and a fully-functioning central government, constrains the state’s ability to respond.

Background

What led here, in plain terms:

• Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Hayder Al-Shakeri, Research Fellow with the MENA programme at Chatham House.
• Al-Shakeri describes Iraq as a state navigating a precarious balance between two powerful allies whose conflict is increasingly unfolding on its own territory.
• This position is not merely diplomatic but deeply structural, rooted in economic dependence, security arrangements, and geographic realities that bind Iraq simultaneously to both Washington and…
• The lack of strong institutions, and a fully-functioning central government, constrains the state’s ability to respond.

Why it matters

Why readers and decision-makers should care:

• Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Hayder Al-Shakeri, Research Fellow with the MENA programme at Chatham House.
• Al-Shakeri describes Iraq as a state navigating a precarious balance between two powerful allies whose conflict is increasingly unfolding on its own territory.
• This position is not merely diplomatic but deeply structural, rooted in economic dependence, security arrangements, and geographic realities that bind Iraq simultaneously to both Washington and…