In July 2020, Iraq’s new Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi accelerated his efforts to enhance Iraq’s sovereignty and independence through direct engagement with the three powers currently jockeying for influence over Iraq – the United States, Iran, and Saudi Arabia| The Soufan Center
According to the Department of Defense, on February 25, two U.S. F-15 aircraft conducted a “proportional” strike on seven facilities in eastern Syria used by the Iran-backed militias that conducted a February 15 attack on Erbil International Airport and surrounding residential areas in Iraq’s Kurdish-controlled north| The Soufan Center
By targeting U.S. forces deployed in Iraq and Syria, Iran-backed militias seek to advance Tehran’s objectives of pressuring American leaders to remove U.S. ground forces from countries near Iran’s borders.| The Soufan Center
As negotiators for the United States and Iran report progress in indirect talks in Vienna aimed at a full restoration of the 2015 multilateral Iran nuclear agreement, countries in the region appear to be repositioning themselves| The Soufan Center