When the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran broke out in late March, Iraq found itself uniquely caught in the middle. Iraq’s Iranian-backed militias quickly joined the conflict, attacking US targets and prompting retaliatory strikes on Iraqi soil, raising the risk of the country becoming a proxy battleground. Meanwhile, broader regional escalation, including the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian attacks on critical Arab Gulf infrastructure, is straining Iraq’s oil-dependent economy and deepening its political and security vulnerabilities.
To assess the consequences of the Iran war on Iraq, the Middle East Institute invites you to join a discussion with analysts Mr. Sajad Jiyad and Dr. Raad Alkadiri. This discussion will be moderated by MEI’s Vice President for Policy, Dr. Kenneth M. Pollack.
Speaker Biographies
Sajad Jiyad Fellow, Century International; Director, Shia Politics Working Group
Raad Alkadiri Senior Associate, Center for Strategic and International Studies; Managing Partner, 3TEN32 Associates, LLC
Kenneth M. Pollack (Moderator) Vice President for Policy, Middle East Institute
Extended Speaker Biographies
Sajad Jiyad is a Fellow at Century International and director of the Shia Politics Working Group. An Iraqi political analyst based in Baghdad, he is the Managing Director of Bridge, an Iraqi nongovernmental organization and consultancy focused on development projects for young people. Sajad’s main focus is on public policy and governance in Iraq. He is frequently published and cited as an expert commentator on Iraqi affairs. Sajad’s educational background is in economics, politics, and Islamic studies.
Raad Alkadiri is a Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Managing Partner at 3TEN32 Associates, LLC. Dr. Alkadiri is an international country risk specialist, with over 20 years of experience advising senior oil and gas industry executives and government leaders on the management of long-term investment strategies, above-ground risk mitigation, and stakeholder engagement in the energy sector. Previously he was a Managing Director for energy, climate, and sustainability at Eurasia Group.
Kenneth M. Pollack (Moderator) is Vice President for Policy at the Middle East Institute. Dr. Pollack began his career as a Persian Gulf military analyst at the CIA and served twice on the National Security Council, first as Director for Near East and South Asian affairs and then as Director for Persian Gulf affairs.
