Our Scans · Iraq · Weekly Summary

• After the recognition of the interim Syrian government by the EU and the US, the risk for Syria to become another failed state in the MENA region, following the footsteps of Libya and Iraq has been significantly reduced. All About Shipping
• Iran and Turkey in Iraq: Iran and Iranian-backed Iraqi actors will likely begin the first phase of a pressure campaign to compel Turkey to withdraw from northern Iraq. Institute for the Study of War
• While dust storms are common in Iraq, the climate crisis is expected to intensify them across the region in the future, fuelled by desertification in Saudi Arabia and Syria. The Guardian
• The PKK's decision could end a simmering conflict in northern Iraq, where Turkey maintains bases to fight the PKK. FDD
• There are concerns Iran could retaliate by blocking oil tanker flows through the Strait of Hormuz, through which Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates export crude oil and fuel. The Star
• Iran and Iranian-backed Iraqi actors will likely begin the first phase of a pressure campaign to compel Turkey to withdraw from northern Iraq. Institute for the Study of War
• In Iraq and Syria, ISIS remains an intact, centrally led organization that will most likely continue to pose a global threat to U.S. and other Western interests as well as local populations. The Washington Institute
• As with the 9/11 terrorist attacks that led to conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan that lasted for nearly two decades, the next U.S. wars - along with the weapons and special training that the U.S. military will need to fight them - are difficult to predict. The Christian Science Monitor
• The United States made the request anticipating that Iraq will retaliate against Turkey in the event of war. KESQ
• The Iraq War would incite terrorism and endanger Australians, something security experts agree was a lasting consequence of the War on Terror. The Conversation
• The alliance between Russia and Iran could lead to increased tensions in already volatile regions, particularly in Syria and Iraq. Trends Newsline
• If Israel reconnects with the Kurdish region of Iraq and Iran tolerates Israel's sphere of influence adjacent to Iran, Israel will forgive Iran (to maintain a cold peace). TRANSCEND Media Service
• Iraq stands to gain from the talks in several ways: First, a successful nuclear deal could lift sanctions on Iran, boosting bilateral trade with Iraq, particularly in energy and goods. Mehr News Agency
• Iraq's inflation rate would drop somewhat to 2.5% in 2025, increase to 2.7% in 2026, and reach 3% in 2030. Iraqi News
• Whereas in neutral ENSO and La Nina cases, heavy rainfall conditions are expected in Iran, southeastern China, the Middle East, northern Syria, and northern Iraq. Aithor
• If successful, the disarmament of PKK elements and the integration of the SDF could stabilize Turkey, northern Iraq, and northern Syria. P.A. Turkey
• The Kurdish population is spread across several countries, including Iraq, Syria, and Iran, and a successful peace process in Turkey could inspire similar efforts elsewhere. County Local News
• Reduced regional tensions would lower the risk of conflicts spilling into Iraq, especially given the presence of U.S. forces. Mehr News Agency
• Trump has authorized multiple targeted military strikes against Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, disrupting Tehran's ability to project power through its regional proxies. Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs
• Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have increasingly threatened to target US forces in Iraq and Syria, likely to both deter a US strike on Iran and to ensure the US forces withdraw from Iraq. Institute for the Study of War
• Countries like Australia, Japan, and South Korea joined the United States in Iraq less because they agreed about the threat Saddam Hussein posed and more because they wanted to underscore their support for their relationship with the United States. Default
• In an American-Israeli war with Iran, Moscow and Beijing will have escalation dominance, which suggests that Washington risks fighting a war that it is predestined to lose, just as the U.S. fought hopeless wars in Vietnam and Iraq and is losing a proxy war in Ukraine. The American Conservative
• The US State Department announcing that it is reviewing all economic exemptions that provide Iran with any degree of support, in an escalatory step that could have broad repercussions, especially on Iraq, which relies heavily on gas and electricity imports from Tehran. LATEST MNT GOAT NEWSLETTER

Last updated: 13 June 2025