Iran's Last Ally in the Middle East

"For more than three years, Iraq has managed to stay out of the headlines. Wars and insurrections have afflicted other parts of the Middle East, but Baghdad-a city whose name was once synonymous with suicide bombings and sectarian murder-has been spared. The highway from the capital's international airport was known as the world's most dangerous during the years I lived there, after the 2003 invasion by the United States; now it's lined with skyscrapers and high-rise apartment towers."

"But many Iraqis have told me they fear that the calm will not last. Iran has taken a beating from both the United States and Israel over the past year, and its vaunted "Axis of Resistance" lies in ruins. Iraq finds itself in the uncomfortable position of being the Islamic Republic's last major ally in the region and an economic lifeline for its cash-starved regime."

"Now elections are approaching-Iraqis will vote for a new parliament on November 11-and the country's current prime minister, Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, is touting the country's relative calm and prosperity. His campaign emblem is a crane, symbolizing the construction boom of recent years. He's hired more than 1 million civil servants over the past year, salving the country's unemployment crisis (and putting the state at even greater risk of bankruptcy)."

For more than three years Iraq has experienced relative calm while Baghdad has seen rapid construction, new bridges, and eased traffic. Remaining stability coexists with deep concerns about regional dynamics after Iran suffered setbacks against the United States and Israel. Iraq functions as Iran’s last significant regional ally and a financial lifeline for Tehran’s cash-starved regime. The incumbent prime minister emphasizes construction and employment gains, including the hiring of over one million civil servants, but those measures increase fiscal vulnerability. Soaring oil prices and rampant corruption complicate governance and raise the prospect that Iraq could again become a battleground.

Read at The Atlantic