Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Iraq-Saudi Security Talks Focus on Drone Attacks; Anti-Corruption Campaign Targets First Significant Shia Figure; Zaidi Seeks Legislative Support for Militia Disarmament – On August 7, Saudi intelligence chief Khalid bin Ali al-Humaidan arrived in Baghdad for talks with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and to extend a new invitation to visit Riyadh after […]
EPIC
EPIC promotes peace and development in Iraq through research, education, and humanitarian action.
Iraq’s Turbulent Season: War, Militias, and Political Change
The past several months have been among the most consequential Iraq has faced in years. Since the Iran war began on February 28, Iraq has been pulled deeper into a conflict it did not choose. Military confrontations have spilled onto Iraqi territory, while disruptions to oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz have exposed just […]
ISHM: July 30 – August 6, 2026
Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Government Increases Pressure on Intransigent Militias to Disarm as Neighbors Warn of Retaliation if Attacked Again – On August 5, Iraq’s State Administration Coalition, which comprises the country’s main governing parties, reaffirmed its support for the government’s efforts to bring all weapons under state control and stressed that Iraqi territory must not […]
Join Team EPIC in Support of the Iraqi Children Foundation’s Annual 5K
Join Team EPIC on August 29 at Burke Lake Park—or virtually from anywhere—for the Iraqi Children Foundation’s annual 5K supporting vulnerable children across Iraq.
ISHM: July 23 – 30, 2026
Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Zaidi Reshapes Iraq’s Security Command Structure; Baghdad to Expand Energy, Transport, and Trade Ties with Lebanon and Turkey – On July 26, government sources said that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi re-established the Office of the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces as part of a broader effort to reorganize the management […]
ISHM: July 16 – 23, 2026
Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Zaidi Signs New Cooperation Agreements in Tehran Days After Landmark U.S. Visit – On July 23, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrived in Tehran on his first official visit to Iran, where he was received at the airport by President Masoud Pezeshkian. Zaidi and Pezeshkian chaired expanded talks involving the Iraqi delegation—which included […]
ISHM: July 9 – 16, 2026
Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Zaidi Gets Warm Welcome from Trump During White House Visit Rebuked by Militias – On July 13, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrived in Washington accompanied by the ministers of Oil, Finance, Electricity, Trade, and Foreign Affairs, along with nearly two dozen lawmakers and senior government officials. The following day, Zaidi met with […]
ISHM: July 2 – 9, 2026
Key Takeaways: POLITICS: PUK-New Generation Alliance Formalized; PM’s Allies Criticize Militarization of Anti-Corruption Sweep; Millions Attend Khamenei Funeral Events in Iraq – On July 2, the leaders of the New Generation (NG) party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) signed an agreement formalizing their political alliance, which aims to break the deadlock with the […]
ISHM: June 25 – July 2, 2026
Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Dozens of Government Officials, Lawmakers Arrested in Anti-Corruption Sweep – On June 28, government forces conducted raids in Baghdad and elsewhere that led to the arrest of dozens of current and former government officials on corruption charges. Some of those arrested were implicated in confessions made by former Deputy Oil Minister Adnan […]
ISHM: June 18 – 25, 2026
Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Zaidi Replaces Central Bank Chief; PUK and New Generation Want to Take the KRG Premiership from Rival KDP – On June 21, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi appointed Nizar Nasir Hussein as the new governor of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI). Hussein, who previously served as director of the CBI’s Counter-Terror […]