In a new report for the Atlantic Council, Kenneth Pollack sheds light on Iran’s continued influence in neighboring Iraq. Since the withdrawal of US combat forces from Iraq in 2011, Iran has been the most influential foreign power in that country. Iran’s close proximity, willingness to engage in nefarious activity of all stripes, and its emphasis on influencing Iraqi individuals means Tehran can punch above its weight in influencing Iraq. Ultimately, the US can help diminish or eliminate Iranian influence in Iraq in only one way: by building a strong, cohesive Iraq that has the confidence to show Iran the door. Of course, Iraq in 2017 is far from that secure, determined state. Read the full report.
The death of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh this past week is a turning point in Yemen’s civil war. In a new Critical Threats briefing, Katherine Zimmerman and Maher Farrukh reexamine the US, Saudi, and Emirati policies toward this crumbling state in light of Saleh’s death. They also argue that Saleh’s demise will certainly lead to the fragmentation of the alliance between his network and the Iranian-backed al Houthi movement. His death also will likely generate additional fracturing in Yemen's already-kaleidoscopic civil war. Find out more here.