Origins of U.S. and Iranian Influence on the Iraqi Political Elite
Three major events transformed Iraq and the Middle East: the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the Iran–Iraq ... ... considerable influence over the state security system.
Despite having some political clout and a few ministerial posts, the Sunnis found themselves marginalized in the new situation and did not have influence over the decision-making process in Baghdad ...
... longer be tolerated, since it was fraught with the real danger of an armed confrontation between the principal ethnic and denominational communities in the state. It is noteworthy that discontent with this situation was expressed not only by Kurds and Sunnis but also by some Shiites inclined to view the PMF as an instrument of Iran's military and political dominance in Iraq.
The 2018 parliamentary elections were a watershed moment in Iraq’s political developments. One of the most remarkable results of the electoral campaign was the victory of the Saairun bloc led by Muqtada al-Sadr, a popular public figure. The son ...
..., equipment and food
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At the same time, recent developments in Iraq to a certain extent seem to have been provoked by Iran, which had long been supporting the government of Nuri al-Maliki – a politician known for his shortsighted policies aimed at suppressing Sunni separatism, which did a great deal to destabilize Iraq. Many Sunnis, who had previously opposed the radicals, have switched allegiances after they realized that al-Maliki's centralization ...
... to coordinate its oil policy with Iraq) through OPEC tools, since both countries were excluded from OPEC’s quota system. Due to the fact that Riyadh got a substantial part of their quotas, Saudi Arabia will have to reduce production volumes if Iran and Iraq return to the quota system.
Ignoring Sunnis Was a Mistake
Meanwhile, the blame for the worsening situation in Al Anbar province rests to a large extent with the Iraqi leadership itself. After coming to power, the government of Nouri al-Maliki did virtually nothing to integrate the Sunni ...
