Iraq and the Conflict between US and Iran
By Vanda Felbab-Brown, for Brookings Institution. The opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
Stuck in the middle: Iraq and the enduring conflict between United States and Iran
When the United States killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani on January 3, it also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a powerful Iraqi militia leader. The move critically destabilized U.S.-Iraq relations.
Last weekend’s rocket attacks on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, which injured one person, and the 200,000-strong demonstration demanding the departure of U.S. military forces from Iraq, led by the anti-U.S. cleric-politician Muqtada al-Sadr, are merely some of the manifestations of this severe destabilization.
Although the United States and Iran managed to avoid an escalation to full-blown war — which would be very costly for both sides — a wide set of U.S. interests in Iraq has been seriously undermined, likely in a long-term way.
The full report can be read here.