Trump Ends Sanctions Waiver on Iraq’s Purchase of Iranian Electricity
Revocation Part of Trump’s Maximum Pressure Campaign: The Trump administration rescinded a waiver on March 8 that allowed Iraq to pay for the purchase of electricity from Iran....
Baghdad
Bridging the Atlantic to Counter Tehran
Trump’s return to the White House shakes global alliances but creates a crucial chance to unite against Iran’s growing threat. Saeed Ghasseminejad and Behnam Ben Taleblu lay out a bold plan to counter Tehran’s nuclear drive and regional aggression.
Op-eds
After 2 years, Iraq claims to be searching for kidnapped researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov
On March 5, Iraqi National Security Adviser Qassem al Araji told the Associated Press that “Iraqi authorities are working under the prime minister’s direction” to find Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton University researcher who was kidnapped two years ago in Iraq.
Op-eds
U.S. Treasury Should Target Iran’s Trading Partners
“Make Iran broke again,” declared Scott Bessent, the incoming Treasury secretary, shortly before his confirmation. That is a realistic goal given Iran’s isolation from the international financial...
Policy Briefs
Drone attack targets gas field in northern Iraq
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) targeted the Khor Mor gas field in northern Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region on February 2, 2025. It is the latest kamikaze drone attack on the gas field run by Dana Gas.
Op-eds
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq face an uncertain future
Iraq’s pro-Iranian militias face an uncertain future after the December fall of the Bashar al Assad regime in Syria and amid pressure from Iraqi authorities for armed groups to be disbanded or incorporated...
Op-eds
Trump Doctrine 2.0: What It Means for the Middle East
Countries across the Middle East are making moves and preparing for President Donald Trump’s incoming United States administration. Many of the region’s leaders were in power during the first...
Op-eds
The role of Iraqi Shia militias as proxies in Iran’s Axis of Resistance
Iran’s 45-year trajectory from the Khomeini revolution to its current challenge to Israel, the West, and the Rules-Based International System (RBIS) led to developing and solidifying its “Axis...
Op-eds
‘Disengaging Armed Factions’: Tehran Recalculates Its Influence in Iraq
Tehran and Baghdad Discuss Regional Developments: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on January 8. The two leaders...
Flash Briefs
Tehran’s triad: propaganda, proxies, and preparedness
The regime in Tehran finds itself increasingly besieged by challenges, ranging from the faltering influence of its regional proxies to the prospect of an Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities, potentially...
Op-eds
Pro-Iran militias in Iraq may move away from Syria border
The point of the report is that the Iraqis want to show that the militias who played a role in Syria will now not just be in Iraq, but will be moved away from the border.
Op-eds
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq may stop attacking Israel
A report this week indicates that some of these militias and groups have stepped back from attacks in the wake of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.
Op-eds
Is Syria’s Julani part of a rising generation of younger Middle East leaders?
If Julani is to remain in power for the coming years, he could play a transformative role in Syria and the Middle East.
Op-eds
Southern Syria’s resurgence brings Jordan and Iraq back in key roles
Jordan seeks to ensure regional security and stability, including in Syria, including by involving the international community in these prospects.
Op-eds
How to Bring Back Maximum Pressure on Iran
At the end of 2020, the Islamic Republic of Iran was down to just $4 billion in accessible foreign exchange reserves. Its terrorist mastermind, Qassem Solemani, and the godfather of its nuclear weapons...
Op-eds
Could the unrest in Syria spillover into Iraq? Iran seems to think so
Iran believes that Iraq is in danger - this means that Iran is worried militias it backs in Iraq could lose influence.
Op-eds
Gulf countries talk like Iran, act like Israel
The GCC rhetoric on Israel masks its true aims to decouple Syria's Assad and the Islamic Republic and declaw Hezbollah in Lebanon
Op-eds
Syrian regime may lose Aleppo due to Iran’s failures
Up until several days ago, the Syrian regime believed its backers in Moscow and Tehran could keep it safe.
Op-eds
Israel kills wanted Hezbollah commander behind the establishment of Iraq’s Iran-backed militias
A recent Israeli airstrike in Syria killed Ali Mousa Daqduq, one of Hezbollah’s most wanted military leaders who served as the deputy commander of the Radwan Unit at the time of his death,...
Op-eds
Israeli Military Action is Key to Stopping Iran’s Proxies in Iraq
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq continue to launch drone and missile attacks against Israel in a show of solidarity with their allies in Gaza and Lebanon. Although many claims remain unverified, some attacks...