Iraq caught between US and Iran, facing attacks from both warring sides & Iran-aligned actors within

Iraq is caught in an escalating conflict between the United States and Iran, with both powers and their respective allies conducting military operations on Iraqi soil. According to Hayder Al-Shakeri, a research fellow at Chatham House's MENA programme, Iraq's predicament stems from structural dependencies—economic ties, security agreements, and geographic proximity—that bind the country simultaneously to Washington and Tehran. The Iraqi state's weak institutions and dysfunctional central government leave it unable to independently manage this dual exposure or prevent either side from using its territory as a battleground. With Iran-aligned actors operating within Iraq and US forces stationed there, Baghdad faces sustained pressure from both directions, forcing a precarious diplomatic balancing act with limited leverage. The situation threatens Iraq's stability and sovereignty as the broader US-Iran conflict increasingly materializes within its borders.