Can Iraq shake off the grip of foreign influence?
From Beyond the Headlines by The National News
April 24, 2026 · 16 min · Episode 493
About this episode
The episode discusses Iraq's struggle with foreign influence and the political deadlock in selecting a prime minister.
Iraq is in a race against time to choose a prime minister but, even after weeks of deadlock, the Co-ordination Framework – a coalition of major Iraqi Shiite parties – is still deliberating. The country is stuck in a tug-of-war of foreign influence between Washington and Tehran, as both seek to strengthen their hold over Iraqi politics and security. Now, Iraq's politicians are carefully trying to calculate which candidate would appease both sides. The Iran war has added another burden to Iraq, which became the only country to be attacked by Tehran-backed militias and American warplanes. Meanwhile, the US and Iran are cranking up the pressure on Baghdad to choose a leader who serves both their interests. Last week, Quds Force commander Brig Gen Esmail Qaani visited Iraq, while the US reportedly withheld shipments of oil revenue dollars. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Hayder Al Shakeri, a research fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House, London. They discuss Iraq’s delicate balancing act in the face of foreign interference, and options the country has to avoid being caught up in further conflict.
People in this episode
Host: Nada AlTaher
Guest: Hayder Al Shakeri
Topics covered
- Iraq politics
- foreign influence
- US-Iran relations
- Shiite parties
- prime minister selection
Keywords
- Iraq
- foreign influence
- US
- Iran
- politics
- Shiite parties
- prime minister
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Chatham House
Places: Iraq, Washington, Tehran, Baghdad
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