{
  "id": 11243580,
  "title": "Iran’s hold on Iraq explained",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/irans-hold-on-iraq-explained",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-01T17:33:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Al Majalla English",
    "slug": "al-majalla-english",
    "url": "https://en.majalla.com/node/333343/politics/iran%E2%80%99s-hold-iraq-explained"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, toppling the regime of Saddam Hussein, the country's regional and international status has undergone a significant transformation. The two primary entities shaping Iraq's political and security environment today are the United States and Iran. Both nations vie for supremacy in the region. Iran has invested extensively over the years, meticulously constructing a web of influence that permeates various aspects of Iraq's political and security landscape. This influence is achieved through several means. Politically, Iran has ties to over a dozen Iraqi political parties and provides financial and logistical support to paramilitary groups linked to these parties. Prominent parties allied with Tehran encompass the Islamic Dawa Party, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, and the Badr Organisation. The second conduit through which Iran exerts its influence is in Iraq's security sector. The Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a paramilitary unit closely aligned with Iran, emerged in the wake of the Islamic State (IS) resurgence in Iraq in 2014. This force was officially established following a fatwa issued by the Shiite religious establishment to counteract the terrorist group. Key figures within the PMF have close associations with Iran. The force has been supplied with a range of military assets by Iran, including tanks, combat vehicles, rocket launchers, and a substantial quantity of small arms. Iran's strategic penetration of Iraq's security apparatus culminated in a government decision to amalgamate the PMF with Iraq's national army. This development enabled Iran-linked entities to bypass US sanctions. Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi's appointment of Lieutenant General Zaid Hawshi Al Musawi, a relative of individuals with long-standing ties to Iran's Islamic Revolution, as a security official underscores Iran's influence. Faiq Zidan, the president of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council, has also faced scrutiny from the United States due to his close connections to Iran. Economically, Iran frequently inundates Iraq's market with surplus Iranian goods, particularly those that are challenging to sell domestically due to their subpar quality. As Iraq serves as Iran's most substantial non-oil export market, numerous enterprises linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have become integral components of Iraq's economic structure. The outcome of Iraq's recent parliamentary elections highlighted the continued presence of Iran-backed militias. A member of these militias monitors the Iraq-Syria border in Al-Qaim on January 23, 2026. Despite the ousting of Saddam Hussein, Iraq has yet to eradicate its numerous armed factions. Iraq's armed factions remain three steps ahead of the Baghdad government. The United States has retaliated militarily against Iranian-backed entities in Iraq. Iraqi society remains divided on the matter of Iran's influence. While many Shiites, who generally favor Iran, have expressed concerns over government corruption and militia oppression, others regard Iranian support as a bulwark protecting Iraq's Shiite community. Notably, in 2019, large-scale protests erupted in Iraq against what demonstrators perceived as Iranian interference, governmental malfeasance, and militia repression. The irony is that the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 created a power vacuum that Iran was poised to fill.",
  "summary": "Iran’s hold on Iraq explained newspress_en Thu, 10/01/2026 - 18:33 Politics Since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, which led to the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, Iraq has undergone a qualitative shift in regional and international balances of power. The two main players in the Iraqi arena are the US and Iran, and both compete for influence. Iran has invested patiently and strategically over…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Al Majalla English",
        "title": "Does a US military withdrawal from Iraq strengthen Iran?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/does-a-us-military-withdrawal-from-iraq-strengthen-iran",
        "published": "2026-10-01T17:37:46.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}