Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has bet his young government on a September 30 deadline to strip armed groups of their weapons, a high-stakes echo of the 2021 crisis that nearly got his predecessor killed.
The U.S.-Iran War and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have upended traditional energy transport networks, with countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iraq now looking to change how their oil is moved.
The high-profile arrests of Iraqi political and energy officials drew international attention and fuelled claims that Baghad was targeting Iranian influence. However, the situation is more nuanced than it appears, and reveals Iraq's continuing political complexity.
Iraq has long found itself in an uncomfortable position between its two main international partners, Iran and the United States. It has managed to maintain a delicate balance, but the current conflict threatens to upend that equilibrium.
