Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Chia al-Soudani receives Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian on his first official foreign visit, Sept. 11, 2024. (Credit: Murtada al-Sudani/AFP)
"The decision between war and peace rests with the State." While many might believe this statement was said by Lebanon's prime minister to refer to Hezbollah, it actually originated from his counterpart in Baghdad, Mohammed Chia al-Soudani, according to the Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat, who was brought to power in 2022 by the Coordination Framework, the alliance of pro-Iranian parties that dominates political Shiism in the country. While Iraq is not yet on the front lines of the fighting that escalated since the outbreak of war in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel already lists it among the seven fronts it’s currently facing.For over a year, the group known as the Islamic Resistance of Iraq made up of various pro-Iranian armed factions — some officially integrated into the Iraqi armed forces — has claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks...
"The decision between war and peace rests with the State." While many might believe this statement was said by Lebanon's prime minister to refer to Hezbollah, it actually originated from his counterpart in Baghdad, Mohammed Chia al-Soudani, according to the Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat, who was brought to power in 2022 by the Coordination Framework, the alliance of pro-Iranian parties that dominates political Shiism in the country. While Iraq is not yet on the front lines of the fighting that escalated since the outbreak of war in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel already lists it among the seven fronts it’s currently facing.For over a year, the group known as the Islamic Resistance of Iraq made up of various pro-Iranian armed factions — some officially integrated into the Iraqi armed forces — has claimed responsibility for dozens of...
