Qassem Soleimani
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Iraq’s new prime minister: What lies ahead (Part 2)
During his first month in office, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi has laid out a bold agenda on Iraq’s economy and security. But finding success will be much more challenging. Al-Kadhimi must keep Iran-backed militias at bay, while managing the future presence of U.S. troops and the lingering threat of the Islamic State. He must also root out corruption, calm public demonstrations, and squeeze Iraq’s economy out of an Iranian stranglehold — all while dealing with a shaky political alliance and possible threats from all sides.
Opinion: Examining Iran’s strengths and weaknesses
Iran’s state has never been both as strong and as weak as it is now. Its strength comes from its influence in the region. Tehran wields tremendous sway over the governments in Baghdad, Sana’a, Beirut and Damascus. Yet Iran is facing discontent at home and among its neighbors, as protests ...
Near-term scenarios for the U.S.-Iran competition
Reports that the recent U.S. and Iranian attacks against each other are leading to war significantly exaggerate the situation. Each country’s moves are part of long-standing strategies focused on influencing the other’s behavior. As such, similar activities can be expected in the near future. A military conflict, however, would benefit ...
Leadership Challenges 2020: Iran’s decision makers
With the recent focus on Iran-West tensions, it is worth considering who exactly the decision makers are in Iran’s highly complex structure of power and whom the current system benefits. While Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei holds tremendous sway, he is not all-powerful. Understanding the roles of the various players ...
Opinion: The lost cause of Iraq and Syria, symbols of the West’s defeat
After over a decade of Western involvement in Syria and Iraq, the region remains unstable and vulnerable to Iranian interference. In Syria, the Kurdish conflict seems set to endure now that the U.S. military has been largely withdrawn from the area. Iraq is facing a wide-scale insurgency against its ruling ...
