Akeel Abbas

Apr 28, 2023 | carnegie-mec.org | Akeel Abbas

Introduction Relations between Iraq and Iran are complex and unequal. In fact, Iran exerts hegemonic control over Iraq.

Mar 20, 2023 | carnegie-mec.org | Akeel Abbas |Marsin Alshamary |Mohanad Hage Ali |Zeinab F. Shuker

March 20 marks the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. This followed president George W. Bush’s now-famous speech in which he announced the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom and told Iraqis that “the day of your liberation is near.” However, the U.S. military intervention, far from establishing a bastion of democracy in the Middle East, left Iraq in tatters, characterized by economic crises, corruption, energy shortages, and increased sectarianism and violence.