Recent Posts

How Iraq emerged as a launchpad for Iran-backed drone attacks

Analysis: Long empowered by Tehran with advanced drone capabilities, Iraqi militias are creating a dilemma for Baghdad as regional pressure grows Even after a ceasefire officially halted the US-Israel war with Iran on 8 April, the Gulf states have endured drone attacks originating from Iraq. Furthermore, there are growing indications …

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What’s behind Israel’s new targeting of Hamas leaders in Gaza?

With few war goals achieved in Gaza, targeted killings change little strategically but send a political message to the Israeli public ahead of elections After years of pursuit, Israel killed the commander of Hamas’s armed wing, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, in Gaza last week. Describing him as a key architect of …

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Tempering U.S. Expectations About Iraq’s New Government

Tehran seems just as enthusiastic about the new prime minister as Washington—a telling sign that the militia-dominated status quo in Baghdad will be difficult and slow to change, if it changes at all. On May 14, U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack congratulated Iraq’s new prime minister Ali al-Zaidi on the …

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