My latest piece where I dive into what unity among Iraqis looked like at the World Cup. I thoroughly enjoyed bringing in my experience with Canadian hockey as a Nova Scotian, having my two worlds overlap. 1001iraqithoughts.com/2026/07/01/w...

What Unity Looked Like in Iraq’s World Cup Campaign - 1001 Iraqi Thoughts

1001iraqithoughts.com

This is a highly informative podcast on this very same issue.

Does Iraq's Anti-Corruption Drive Signal Reform or Politicized Justice?

Podcast Episode · Iraqi Voices · 24 June · 21min

podcasts.apple.com

Local Observer 🇮🇶🇵🇸🍉@observer46664.bsky.social · last mo.

IRAQ UPDATE: PM Ali Al Zaidi's government is ramping up its heavily publicised anti-corruption crusade with more charges & arrests. The crimes seem to be real & based on solid evidence but so far the potential targets appear to be affiliated with Mohammed Al Halbousi's Taqadum & ex PM Sudani's bloc.

In this latest episode of the Iraqi Voices podcast, hosts @hamzehhadad.bsky.social and @alwaeli.bsky.social and Hassan Hadad (not on Bluesky) and Ali Al Mawlawi (not on Bluesky) discuss the issue of ongoing efforts to disarm Iraqi Shi'i factions and reintegrate them into the Iraqi state.

Laying Down Arms: Iraq's Paramilitaries and the Push for State Integration

Podcast Episode · Iraqi Voices · June 10 · 23m

podcasts.apple.com

Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Ishaq Al-Fayyadh passed away today in Baghdad at the age of 95. Born in Afghanistan, he moved to Najaf at the age of 18, arriving in monarchical Iraq at the end of the Marjayya of Abu Al-Hassan Al-Asfahani.

If you are looking for more information on Iraq's PM-designate Ali Al Zaidi, please listen to this episode of the Iraqi Voices podcast, hosted by my dear friends Hassan Hadad (not on Bluesky), @hamzehhadad.bsky.social @alwaeli.bsky.social and Ali Al Mawlawi (not on Bluesky).

Ali Al-Zaidi tapped to lead Iraq’s next government

Podcast Episode · Iraqi Voices · April 29 · 21m

podcasts.apple.com

A few podcast episodes on the Iran War that I recommend: 1001 Iraqi Thoughts with @hamzehhadad.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i...

Iraq Navigating a Region at War

Podcast Episode · Iraqi Voices · April 1 · 21m

podcasts.apple.com

My interview with ABC’s Sunday Extra on impact of regional war on Iraq: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Iraq's hard-won stability threatened by Iran conflict - ABC listen

As the conflict in the Middle East enters its third week, Iran continues to launch attacks against US allies in the Gulf. Iraq, which borders Iran, is being struck by both Iran and the United States b...

abc.net.au

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...

Iraq must not be a staging ground for war with Iran | Brookings

Iraq has long balanced between Washington and Tehran, but the coming weeks will test Iraq’s resolve and capability like never before.

brookings.edu

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/

The 2025 Iraqi Election: Will Sudani Serve a Second Term?

On November 11, 2025, Iraqis voted in their seventh parliamentary election since the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003. According to the Iraqi High Electoral Commission, the election saw a turnout of 56 percent, markedly higher than the previous two elections. Although the results have yet to be confirmed by the judiciary, no party has emerged with a […]

arabcenterdc.org

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...

The 2025 Iraqi Election: Will Sudani Serve a Second Term?

On November 11, 2025, Iraqis voted in their seventh parliamentary election since the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003. According to the Iraqi High Electoral Commission, the election saw a tur...

arabcenterdc.org

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...

Iraq ’s Foreign Policy – Between Domestic Fragmentation and the Search for National Sovereignty

Single title

kas.de

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...

After Iraq’s Elections 2025 — What Happens Now?

YouTube video by Foundation Max van der Stoel

youtube.com

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...

Why Iraq’s stability demands deeper democratic reforms | Brookings

If change is to occur in Iraq, outside actors must press for meaningful reforms through parliamentary opposition.

brookings.edu

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...

Why Iraq’s stability demands deeper democratic reforms | Brookings

If change is to occur in Iraq, outside actors must press for meaningful reforms through parliamentary opposition.

brookings.edu

@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...

Iraqi lessons for Syria’s post-Baathist constitution | Brookings

The parallels between Iraq and Syria offer a valuable opportunity for Syria to learn from its eastern neighbor.

brookings.edu

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...

The Decline of NGOs and the Challenges Iraq Faces - 1001 Iraqi Thoughts

1001iraqithoughts.com

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...

Iraqi lessons for Syria’s post-Baathist constitution | Brookings

The parallels between Iraq and Syria offer a valuable opportunity for Syria to learn from its eastern neighbor.

brookings.edu

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...

Why Iraq’s 2025 Elections Matter

open.spotify.com

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.

Marsin Alshamary@marsin.bsky.social · 10mo ago

🎙️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...

🎙️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...

Understanding Iraq's Stability Dividend

open.spotify.com

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...

The Quiet Demise of Jordan’s Political Space | Journal of Democracy

In the shadow of Gaza’s destruction, the Jordanian regime has quietly repressed one of the main sources of the country’s political activism.

journalofdemocracy.org

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

ECFR@ecfr.eu · last yr.

Visiting Fellow @raniaab.bsky.social's policy brief documents the ongoing attempt to identify and bring justice, dignity and closure to the disappearance and killings of hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq, many of whom are believed to be in mass graves @ecfrmena.bsky.social buff.ly/9iQFPoX

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

Unearthing the past: Iraq’s mass graves and the quest for justice

A European-backed UN body explored mass graves in Iraq between 2018 and 2024, supporting steps towards justice and reconciliation—and providing wider lessons for the region…

ecfr.eu

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...

Why Iraq gives Syria a hand

By welcoming Syria’s new leader – a former Al Qaeda terrorist – Iraq shows a generosity born of its own violent past to lift a neighbor emerging from conflict.

csmonitor.com

🇮🇶 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.