Supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr withdrew from Baghdad's fortified Green Zone area earlier this week . (Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP)
Institutional deadlock, sectarianism and polarization around Iranian influence — the political stalemate into which Iraq has plunged since its Oct. 2021 parliamentary elections has all the factors for a Lebanese-style crisis. After the resignation of his parliamentary bloc in June, Muqtada al-Sadr, known for his unpredictability, announced on Monday, for yet another time, his withdrawal from politics. In response, his supporters stormed the presidential palace in Baghdad, drawing the ire of the army and pro-Iranian militias.According to Iraqi government figures, 23 Sadrist demonstrators were killed in subsequent clashes in the fortified Green Zone. However, the Shiite cleric called on his supporters Tuesday to withdraw.While there are many discrepancies between the two countries, such as the fact that the struggle in Iraq is largely...
Institutional deadlock, sectarianism and polarization around Iranian influence — the political stalemate into which Iraq has plunged since its Oct. 2021 parliamentary elections has all the factors for a Lebanese-style crisis. After the resignation of his parliamentary bloc in June, Muqtada al-Sadr, known for his unpredictability, announced on Monday, for yet another time, his withdrawal from politics. In response, his supporters stormed the presidential palace in Baghdad, drawing the ire of the army and pro-Iranian militias.According to Iraqi government figures, 23 Sadrist demonstrators were killed in subsequent clashes in the fortified Green Zone. However, the Shiite cleric called on his supporters Tuesday to withdraw.While there are many discrepancies between the two countries, such as the fact that the struggle in Iraq is largely...