The conflict that erupted in the region over the past two years—between Israel on one side and Iran and its proxies on the other—has been telling. Despite decades of preparation, Iran and its proxies not only proved startingly ineffectual but were dealt a series of crippling blows.
Hezbollah's capabilities in Lebanon have been largely decimated, while in neighbouring Syria, the Assad regime collapsed. In Yemen, Houthi rocket launches into Israel were largely symbolic and in Gaza, Hamas remains trapped in a bloody stalemate as Israel’s war on the enclave has tormented the civilian population.
But perhaps the most overlooked aspect of Tehran’s crumbling ‘axis of resistance’ was the fact that Iraq’s pro-Iranian militias were conspicuously inactive, not only during Israel's war on Gaza, but also throughout the '12-day War' between Israel and Iran. As missiles and drones flew over militia bases and command centres to strike Iran, Baghdad's support for its nominal ally was largely confined to a flurry of press statements, social media posturing, and empty declarations. This conspicuous absence raises a pivotal question: is Iraq finally slipping free from Tehran's grip?
Al Majalla's August cover story, Changing Baghdad’s locks: US pressure key to breaking Iran’s grip tackles this subject. While we previously covered the decline of Iran’s regional influence following its heightened confrontation with Israel and the US in the past two years, this issue zooms in on Iraq and the immense potential that could come if it successfully breaks away from Tehran’s sphere of influence and joins the new emerging Middle East order.
