Iraq and the challenges of international and regional conflict after the Al-Aqsa flood

Abstract

         The “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, carried out by the Palestinian resistance on October 7, 2023, highlighted profound shifts in the strategic environment of the Middle East and reshaped the priorities of regional and international actors.

The repercussions of this operation and the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip impacted Iraq, a country situated at the heart of regional interactions and possessing complex relationships with various influential parties in the region.

This operation, in particular, constituted a significant turning point in the political and security landscape of the Middle East. Its repercussions were not limited to the occupied Palestinian territories but extended to several regional countries, including Iraq, which was directly and indirectly affected by the developments following the war on Gaza. This research aims to study the repercussions of Al-Aqsa Flood on Iraq from political, security, economic, social, and strategic perspectives, while analyzing the nature of the challenges and opportunities that emerged from these events.  This research begins with the premise that the Al-Aqsa events have redefined Iraq's position within the equations of regional conflict, imposing new challenges on Iraqi decision-makers regarding the management of internal and external balances. The research concludes that Iraq has been affected to varying degrees by these developments, and that the nature of this impact will remain linked to the future of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the level of regional and international competition in the Middle East, The research finds that Iraq has found itself facing a complex equation that combines popular and official solidarity with the Palestinian cause on the one hand, with maintaining internal stability and avoiding being drawn into broader regional conflicts on the other. This is especially true given that Iraq has been affected to varying degrees by these developments, and that the nature of this impact will remain linked to the future of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the level of regional and international competition in the Middle East.