Internal political competition inside Tehran repeatedly forces leaders to trade tactical bargaining strength for strategic overreach.
Browsing: Iraq
Cross-border chaos is erasing Middle East sovereignty, spreading the U.S.-Iran war across Yemen, Egypt, and into Ukraine in a Hobbesian breakdown.
Iraq navigated a three-month halt in physical US currency transfers without economic turmoil, signaling a major move toward modern banking systems.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi balances ties with Washington and Tehran to rebuild Iraq’s energy sector and secure economic growth across Middle East markets.
Iraqi militia attacks on Saudi Arabia threaten regional diplomacy. Washington must combine targeted counterstrikes and intelligence support to secure Baghdad.
Joint U.S.-Saudi airstrikes targeted Iran-backed militias in Iraq after wave of drone attacks, threatening Baghdad’s diplomatic standing in the Gulf.
An FBI investigation in Baghdad exposed financial transfers to U.S. emissaries, allowing Washington to reshape Iraq’s cabinet and sign major energy deals.
Exiled Kurdish opposition factions in Iraq face security raids, extradition demands, and border strikes as Tehran expands post-war pressure.
Iraq courts US energy giants to bypass Strait of Hormuz disruptions, rebuild damaged infrastructure, and balance rising political tensions with Iran.
Hormuz pipeline alternatives like Kirkuk-Baniyas and Basra-Aqaba can’t replace the strait, since most Gulf oil and LNG is bound for Asia, not the west.