The Iran war is no longer contained. As tensions escalate across the Middle East, Iraq is emerging as a critical battleground — caught between Iran, the United States, Israel, and armed groups operating within its own borders.
This episode breaks down the Iran war, Iraq conflict, Middle East war dynamics, PMF Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah, US forces in Iraq, and the growing risk of regional escalation.
In this episode of The Voices of War, I speak with Iraqi political adviser Dr Ghassan Jawad Kadhim to unpack what this means for Iraq, regional stability, and the wider geopolitical order. We explore how Iraq is being ‘hit from four sides’, why the distinction between the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) and Iranian-aligned factions is so often misunderstood, and how that confusion could further destabilise the Iraqi state. We also examine the economic fallout — oil crisis in Iraq, Basra oil exports, and the impact of disrupted energy flows — and what a prolonged conflict could mean for everyday Iraqis.
This is a grounded, on-the-ground analysis of the Iran-Israel war, US-Iran tensions, and why Iraq may be the tipping point.
