Iraq in the Wake of the Iran War: Governance, Security, and Economic Challenges

Speakers

Zahra Ali

Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Rutgers University

Lahib Higel

Senior Analyst for Iraq and Interim Deputy Program Director, Middle East and North Africa, International Crisis Group

Renad Mansour

Deputy Director, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House

Ahmed Tabaqchali

Chief Strategist, Asia Frontier Capital (AFC) Iraq Fund

Moderator

Joseph Sassoon

Professor of History and Political Economy and al-Sabah Chair in Politics and Political Economy of the Arab World, Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University

Tamara Kharroub

Deputy Executive Director & Senior Fellow

Arab Center Washington DC

About the Webinar

The US-Israeli war on Iran has placed neighboring Iraq under serious political, security, and economic strain. Iran-affiliated groups in Iraq have targeted US interests, drawing retaliatory strikes on Iraqi territory. While the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz could ease pressure on global energy markets, the broader regional escalation, including attacks on Gulf oil and gas infrastructure and disruptions to maritime transit, has already strained Iraq’s oil-dependent economy.

To assess the war’s consequences for Iraq, Arab Center Washington DC (ACW) and the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS) at Georgetown University are organizing a critical webinar to explore the governance, security, and economic challenges facing the country. The discussion will address the Muhassasa system and ethnosectarian divisions, the role of Iran-affiliated groups and the question of disarmament, the economic toll of energy disruption, corruption, and oil dependence, and the impact of US policy on Iraq’s stability and future trajectory.

MORTEZA NIKOUBAZL / NURPHOTO / NURPHOTO VIA AFP

Location

Via Zoom

Date

Thursday July 9, 2026

Time

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM ET

Register
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