Iraq is struggling to maintain a delicate balance between its powerful allies the US and Iran, which is increasingly unfolding on its own territory. The country's lack of strong institutions hampers its ability to respond to the situation.

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 Tehran. The lack of strong institu...