Iraq's Multi-Partner Foreign Policy Balancing Act

PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani pursues a multi-partner approach, balancing ties with the U.S., Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. The Ankara visit produced agreements on water, security, transport, and energy. Regional pressure from neighbors (Jordan, Kuwait, Syria) is forcing Iraq to act more decisively against militias, testing its balancing act. Analysts critique the performative nature of this balancing, noting Iraq's limited leverage and the incoherence of signing energy deals with both sides within days. The trilateral business pitch to Iran and the U.S. exemplifies this constrained agency.