My article for @brookings.edu with @hamzehhadad.bsky.social on the value of Iraqi stability for the region, and the cost of allowing it to descend into the regional war: www.brookings.edu/articles/ira...

Hamzeh Hadad argues that #Iraq’s November 2025 elections are likely to yield another broad coalition government, with Shia parties once again determining the next prime minister. https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/the-2025-iraqi-election-will-sudani-serve-a-second-term/#Iraq’s

The 2025 Iraqi Election: Will Sudani Serve a Second Term? My latest analysis on the upcoming government formation for the @arabcenterdc.org arabcenterdc.org/resource/the...

Happy to share that my paper, "The Religious De-Legitimization of Non-State Actors in Iraq", has been published by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in a series on non-state actors in Iraq. www.kas.de/en/web/jorda...

It is interesting to note that Sudani only got four more seats in 2025 than Abadi did in 2018, despite spending a lot more during his campaign. Tougher to compare these elections to 2021, which were an outlier because Kadhimi did not run and the electoral system was different.

I had the pleasure of participating in the @fms-foundation.bsky.social’s webinar on Iraqi elections with my colleagues Salman Khairalla & Abdulrahman Al Bo Ragheef. www.youtube.com/live/OCJl_X0...

This piece by two of Iraq's most eminent analysts @marsin.bsky.social and @hamzehhadad.bsky.social is a must-read ahead of Iraq's crucial general elections next week. www.brookings.edu/articles/why...

As Iraqis head to the polls next week, @marsin.bsky.social and I write for @brookings.edu on the need to raise the bar for democratic performance. www.brookings.edu/articles/why...

@hamzehhadad.bsky.social and @marsin.bsky.social compare Iraq and Syria's experiences of post-Ba'ath constitution-drafting and state-building, advocate for inclusive federalism in Syria: www.brookings.edu/articles/ira...

This is a really important piece as we near the end of UNAMI mandate. It sheds light on the current situation of NGOs in Iraq, which have played a major role in Iraqi society for decades. 1001iraqithoughts.com/2025/10/21/t...

My latest piece with @marsin.bsky.social for @brookings.edu on the 20th anniversary of the Iraqi constitution & lessons for Syria, primarily regarding federalism. www.brookings.edu/articles/ira...

Second episode of Iraqi Voices since our return. We dive deeper into the upcoming elections as we discuss the changes of reverting back to provincial-wide districts & first past the post voting. open.spotify.com/episode/1vYu...

On the 8th anniversary of the passing of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, this passage from the introduction of “Shalash the Iraqi” shows a glimpse of what made him different from his peers.

So glad to see @hamzehhadad.bsky.social and his colleagues back with the Iraqi Voices podcast after a long hiatus! Highly recommend if you're looking for calm, thoughtful conversations about Iraqi politics.

🎙️The best podcast on Iraq is back! Hassan Hadad, @alwaeli.bsky.social, Ali Al-Mawlawi, and @hamzehhadad.bsky.social discuss how sustained political calm has translated into a stability dividend and examine what steps are needed to secure long-term prosperity. open.spotify.com/episode/3LS5...

Coming from @stanfordpress.bsky.social in the summer of 2026! @lisablaydes.bsky.social and I edited a book "Ba'thist Iraq through Archives" with a star studded list of contributors!

“He warned that any effort aimed at preserving the SDF’s structure as is, would ‘put the region at great risk and may lead to a large-scale war’ and could also ‘put Iraq and Turkey at great risk, as well as the Syrian state.’” www.rudaw.net/english/midd...

I wrote a piece for @jodemocracy.bsky.social on a little-noticed court decision last week to effectively permanently outlaw Jordan’s teacher’s union www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclu...

My latest for @ecfr looks at efforts to find 100s of 1000s of Iraqis who are missing.Many are believed to be in mass graves. #Iraq has so many mass graves it has a specialized directorate. It even has a Mass Graves Day.Every number is a person who was part of a family that is integral to a community

Unearthing the past: Iraq’s mass graves and the quest for justice: ecfr.eu/publication/...

As the regional conflict spreads, this paper from IISS explains how Iraq has managed to stay out of it for the most part. www.iiss.org/publications...

Why Iraq gives Syria a hand www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/t...

🇮🇶 Iraq officially has 19 provinces now with Halabja. It will be interesting to see if there will be noticeable change for the people of Halabja. Previously as part of Sulaymaniyah in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, there has been dissatisfaction with centralization by the Kurdistan Regional Government.

📰 Read Visiting Fellow @hamzehhadad.bsky.social 's comments on #Iran’s waning influence in Iraq for @lemonde-en.bsky.social here 👇

A stabilising transition in Syria is far from assured. My piece after recent visit calling for Western govs to urgently step up support amid deep challenges & some worrying signs. Should start with more direct assistance given sanctions relief unlikely to be short-term answer ecfr.eu/article/the-...

My interview with @theworld.org regarding Iraq’s census results. theworld.org/segments/202...

Debating US Primacy in the Midde East - introducing my new essay and spectacular collection of IR theories and Middle East experts trying to make sense of the nature and limits of US power. abuaardvark.substack.com/p/debating-u...

Once again, Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s comments on post-2003 Iraq & what he did there are nauseating & insulting. I guess, trying to downplay the fact he was a foreigner joining a terrorist group that blew up innocent Iraqis on a daily basis is part of the rehabilitation campaign.

My first piece for 2025, co-authored with @marsin.bsky.social for @brookings.edu. www.brookings.edu/articles/ira...

Recently appointed head of Iraqi intelligence Hameed Al-Shatri is the first Iraqi official to visit Damascus post-Ba’ath. There were a handful of Iraqi officials that were in charge of handling relations with Syria during Ba’ath regime. No surprise that a new but trusted figure was sent by Baghdad.

I wonder if we are gonna see the same scholars & analysts who have tried to paint Saddam as non-sectarian do the same with Bashar Al-Assad.

Agreed. Been saying this for days. people weirdly pushing some expectation of mass deployment flooding into Syria. Spillover not off the cards, especially with reports of ISIS resurgence in NE (deir ezzor), but like you, I don’t see big push to defend Bashar, espec with such spectacular offensive.

Iraq once again caught in a difficult spot. Little sympathy towards the Ba’ath regime next door as evidenced by prominent leaders like Sadr calling on Iraq to stay out of the conflict. While some fear a spillover like 2014, both status of security & local population is different.

Amid talk of Iraqi militias moving to Syria, following talk of poss Iranian strikes on Israel from Iraq, read @hamzehhadad.bsky.social on how the Iraqi pol & religious estab working to keep the country out of the wider regional war, fearful of the pain it could bring ecfr.eu/article/avoi...

Avoiding the next front: Iraq’s fight to stay out of the Israel-Iran conflict: ecfr.eu/article/avoi...

5/ As #Israel & #Iran clash, #Iraq’s Shia leadership is trying to rein in domestic Iranian-backed paramilitaries to shield the country from becoming a new battleground in the Middle East, writes @hamzehhadad.bsky.social ecfr.eu/article/avoi...

I keep updating this list with new analysts - many of whom are critical to following developments in Syria: go.bsky.app/69H22WU

My latest piece for @ecfr.bsky.social/ @ecfrmena.bsky.social Avoiding the next front: Iraq’s fight to stay out of the Israel-Iran conflict ecfr.eu/article/avoi...

📑 NEW @ecfr.bsky.social commentary by @hamzehhadad.bsky.social: As #Israel & #Iran clash, #Iraq’s Shia leadership is trying to rein in domestic Iranian-backed paramilitaries to shield the country from becoming a new battleground in the Middle East. Read the piece here 👇 ecfr.eu/article/avoi...

It is going to be interesting to see how the Iraqi parliament will address the issue of seat change after the census placed the population at 45.4 million. Parliament currently has 329 seats & the constitution stipulates 1 MP for every 100,000 Iraqi. 125 seats will need to be added.

Not to be lost amongst all the noise coming from the hawks to expand Israel’s war to Iraq. 1001iraqithoughts.com/2024/11/22/g...

Spoke yesterday with @theworld.org regarding the census in Iraq. theworld.org/segments/202...

Big day for #Iraq with the census being conducted today. Provided some comments to @afpnews.bsky.social. www.france24.com/en/live-news...

Post-election migration onto this platform will probably be short lived.

First edition of Arnold T. Wilson’s memoirs as civil commissioner in Iraq, signed by Wilson himself.

Excited to share my latest paper for HKS. I am thankful to the International Development Research Centre in supporting this research. The Protest to Parliament Pipeline: Investigating the Link Between Activism and Women’s Political Participation in Iraq www.belfercenter.org/publication/...

Today marks the 66th anniversary of the July 14 revolution. For anyone interested in reading about this important period in contemporary Iraqi history, the late professor Majid Al-Khadduri’s book Republican Iraq is a must.