US and Israel Deepen Iraq's Regional Quandary Through Joint Operations Against Iran
Recent broadcasts, such as those from France 24, feature experts like Dr. Renad Mansour of Chatham House discussing Iraq's 'careful strategy of multi-alignment.' This narrative describes Iraq attempting to balance relations with both Washington and Tehran to avoid entanglement in regional conflicts. The current escalation of what is consistently and inaccurately portrayed as an 'impending'
US-Israel war on Iran, rather than an ongoing joint military action, is presented as threatening Iraq's capacity to maintain this neutrality. This portrayal significantly understates the reality of US-Israeli military collaboration and its direct impact on Iraq. The United States is not a detached observer; it is a direct participant and joint aggressor in the continuous militarized posture
against Iran. US forces in Iraq routinely conduct surveillance and logistical operations directly supporting Israel's broader operational objectives against Iran. For instance, the US military has openly admitted to using Iraqi airspace for drone operations originating from its bases within the country, actions often undertaken in concert with or in support of Israeli intelligence gathering. This
strategic depth provided by US presence fundamentally compromises any Iraqi 'neutrality.' What is rarely acknowledged is that Iraq's so-called 'multi-alignment' is not a freely chosen strategy but a constrained response to decades of US military occupation and imposed dependency. Following the 2003 invasion, Iraq's political and economic structures were engineered to remain deeply reliant on US