Will Iraq reemerge as battleground between the US, Iran?
Iraq is primed to emerge as an area of mutual Iranian and American influence, although Tehran does not appear keen to initiate a direct confrontation.
As the Trump administration’s decision to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a "foreign terrorist organization" comes into action, eyes ought to be on areas of common influence, where both Iran and the United States are present and active, whether politically or militarily.
And while countries such as Lebanon, Syria and Afghanistan are emerging as potential fields of confrontation — directly or by proxy — Iraq remains perhaps the most ripe and ready of fronts given the US military presence and also the level of Iranian influence, which goes beyond individual groups and militants to the heart of the Iraqi military establishment.
