Inside Iraq’s foreign policy.
Republic of Iraq
Asia · UN voting record, treaty positions, and alliances — every claim primary-sourced.
In short
Iraq is a federal parliamentary republic whose foreign policy is built around one imperative: keep the state intact while balancing the United States, Iran, Turkey, and Arab partners without letting any one actor dominate Baghdad’s room for maneuver [Iraqi Constitution via Constitute](https://www. constituteproject.
Capital
BaghdadGovernment
Federal parliamentary …Iraq's government & politics
Leadership, governance, and democratic trajectory.
Head of government
Muhammad Shia' al-Sudani
Head of Government
Iraq's UN voting record
How Iraq votes at the UN General Assembly — ideological trajectory, voting partners, topic patterns, and key recent roll calls.
Ideological trajectory
Top voting partners
Topic-level voting
Source: Erik Voeten, “United Nations General Assembly Voting Data”, Harvard Dataverse (CC0). Aggregated by Model Diplomat. Last refresh tracked in profile freshness.
Iraq's foreign policy
Bilateral posture, key relationships, and live diplomatic statements.
Foreign Policy
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Iraq’s foreign policy is hedging by necessity: Baghdad is trying to preserve sovereignty and regime stability while avoiding a forced choice between Iran and the United States Iraqi Prime Minister’s Media Office, International Crisis Group, Carnegie Middle East Center. The decision structure matters. Iraq is a federal parliamentary republic led by President Abdul Latif Rashid and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, but foreign-policy execution is split among the prime minister’s office, the Foreign Ministry, parliament, the Popular Mobilization Forces ecosystem, and party coalitions tied to Tehran, which means external policy is often the product of bargaining rather than a single doctrine Presidency of the Republic of Iraq, Iraqi Prime Minister’s Media Office, Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Council on Foreign Relations. Iraq’s stated line is balanced diplomacy, non-interference, and refusal to let its territory be used to attack neighbors, a position Sudani has repeated in the context of both US-Iran tensions and spillover from Gaza and Syria Iraqi Prime Minister’s Media Office, Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Its core interests form a clear pyramid. Survival means preventing spillover war, containing ISIS remnants, and protecting territorial integrity against cross-border strikes by Turkey, Iran, Israel, or US-linked escalation Global Coalition Against Daesh, UNAMI, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Regime security comes next: the state is trying to bring armed groups under tighter control without triggering open conflict with Iran-backed factions that retain political and coercive weight Al-Monitor, Rudaw. Economic interests are dominated by oil exports and budget stability; Iraq remains one of OPEC’s largest producers, and hydrocarbons overwhelmingly finance the state, so export disruptions or pipeline disputes quickly become foreign-policy problems OPEC, World Bank, IMF. Status matters too, but it is subordinate: Baghdad wants to be seen as an Arab bridge state and occasional mediator, visible in its hosting of regional summits and efforts to keep channels open with Tehran, Washington, Amman, Riyadh, Ankara, and Damascus at the same time Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Arab League, Chatham House.
Iraq’s key bilateral relationships are deliberately contradictory. Iran has the deepest non-state influence inside Iraq through aligned parties and militias, major electricity and gas links, and a long land border, so Baghdad cannot simply oppose Tehran even when it wants more autonomy U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Crisis Group, Carnegie Middle East Center. The United States remains indispensable for security cooperation, training, financial connectivity, and Iraq’s access to the dollar-based global system, which gives Washington leverage even after the formal end of the anti-ISIS combat mission U.S. Department of State, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve, U.S. Treasury. Turkey is both a trade partner and a security irritant because of cross-border operations against the PKK and disputes over water and northern Iraq Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Crisis Group, Rudaw. Jordan and the Gulf monarchies matter as Arab reintegration channels, energy and transport partners, and partial counterweights to Iranian predominance Jordan News Agency Petra, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Iraqi Prime Minister’s Media Office.
In multilateral terms, Iraq uses broad memberships to maximize room for maneuver. It is a UN founding member, an Arab League and OIC member, part of OPEC, and formally associated with the Non-Aligned tradition, all of which fit its preference for sovereignty language and coalition flexibility United Nations Member States, OPEC, League of Arab States, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. In the UN General Assembly, Iraq usually aligns with Arab and Global South positions on Palestine, state sovereignty, and skepticism toward coercive external intervention UN Digital Library, UN General Assembly voting records. It has supported resolutions demanding humanitarian protection and ceasefire-related action in Gaza, in line with the Arab bloc UN Digital Library. On Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Iraq has been more cautious than many Western partners, reflecting its broader reluctance to endorse hard-edged bloc politics and its instinct to avoid precedents that normalize external military action on sovereign territory UN Digital Library, Reuters.
The most useful divergence is that
Iraq's treaties & memberships
UN multilateral treaty positions and IGO memberships.
International Organizations
Society & economy
Macro-economic snapshot and demographic context.
GDP (nominal)
$279.6B
#50/250GDP per capita
$6,073.61
#126/250Currency
—
HDI
0.69
#122/250GDP (nominal USD)
GDP per capita (USD)
Top trading partners
In the news
Stories surfacing across Iraq’s authoritative outlets, plus headline events and the diplomatic calendar.
Headlines
Oil exports plunge: Can Iraq, Kurdistan return to pre-war levels? | Rudaw
Summary: - The Rudaw article analyzes Iraq’s oil exports in early 2026, highlighting that despite higher export prices, revenue remains insufficient due to disrupted outlets and production security. - Key points: the Kurdistan Region and central Iraq’s oil output faces persistent vulnerability from the closure of export routes (e.g., Kirkuk–Turkey pipeline) and stalled initiatives (Basra–Haditha pipeline, tanker exports to Syria). Repairs and new pipelines are slow and costly
Can Iraq absorb Iran-backed militias without deepening Tehran’s influence? - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012
Summary: The article examines whether Iraq can absorb Iran-backed militias without amplifying Tehran’s influence. It explores policy options, governance challenges, and security dynamics as Iraq navigates militia integration with state structures. The piece situates militias within Iraq’s political landscape, signaling how decisions affect Iraqi sovereignty, domestic stability, and regional power competition. It’s part of AL-MONITOR’s analysis on Iraq’s balancing act between
Iraq moves to restrict arms to state control as Iran-aligned group sets disarmament conditions | Rudaw
Iraq is moving to place all weapons under state control. Key points: - A new PM Zakii (Zaidi) committee is tasked with enforcing arms restriction to be controlled by the Iraqi state, applying to all armed groups outside the PMF. It aims for a complete inventory of weapons and equipment within days. - The move aligns with the Iraqi constitution and laws and seeks to strengthen state authority, security, and stability, limiting political/armed factions from external influence.
Explore Iraq in depth
Frequently asked questions about Iraq
Quick answers to the most common questions about Iraq.
What type of government does Iraq have?
Iraq is governed as a federal parliamentary republic, with its capital at Baghdad.
Who is the head of state of Iraq?
Abdul Latif Rashid is the head of state of Iraq, in office since 2022-10-17.
Who leads the government of Iraq?
Muhammad Shia' al-Sudani serves as the head of government of Iraq, since 2022-10-27.
What is the population of Iraq?
Iraq has a population of approximately 46.0 million people, making it the 34th most populous country.
What is the economy of Iraq like?
Iraq has a nominal GDP of about $280 billion, or roughly $6,074 per capita.
What languages are spoken in Iraq?
The official languages of Iraq are Arabic, Aramaic, and Sorani.
When did Iraq join the United Nations?
Iraq has been a member of the United Nations since 1945.
Who are Iraq's closest allies?
Iraq's key allies include Iran, United States, Türkiye, and Jordan.
More about Iraq
Iraq is a federal parliamentary republic whose foreign policy is built around one imperative: keep the state intact while balancing the United States, Iran, Turkey, and Arab partners without letting any one actor dominate Baghdad’s room for maneuver [Iraqi Constitution via Constitute](https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Iraq_2005.pdf), [U.S. State Department](https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-iraq/), [International Crisis Group](https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/gulf-and-arabian-peninsula/iraq). President Abdul Latif Rashid remains head of state and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani heads the government formed in October 2022, with power resting less in a single ruling party than in a coalition system dominated by the Coordination Framework’s Shia parties and negotiated with Kurdish and Sunni blocs [Presidency of the Republic of Iraq](https://presidency.iq/EN), [Prime Minister's Office](https://gds.gov.iq/), [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iraqs-parliament-approves-government-led-by-mohammed-shia-al-sudani-2022-10-27/), [Carnegie Middle East Center](https://carnegie-mec.org/). In practice, Iraq’s decision structure is fragmented: the prime minister’s office runs day-to-day statecraft, but major security and foreign-policy files are shaped by bargaining among parliamentary blocs, the Popular Mobilization Forces ecosystem, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and outside patrons, especially Tehran and Washington [Chatham House](https://www.chathamhouse.org/2023/02/iraqs-politics-are-still-defined-competing-power-centres), [International Crisis Group](https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/gulf-and-arabian-peninsula/iraq). Iraq’s place in the world is that of a middle-power oil state with outsized strategic relevance and limited strategic autonomy. It is a founding UN member from 1945 and belongs to OPEC, the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement, which gives Baghdad a broad multilateral platform even as its real leverage comes from energy exports and geography between the Gulf, Iran, Turkey, and the Levant [United Nations](https://www.un.org/en/about-us/member-states/iraq), [OPEC](https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/about_us/25.htm), [League of Arab States](http://www.lasportal.org/), [OIC](https://www.oic-oci.org/). Baghdad has tried to market itself as a convening state rather than a camp follower, hosting regional dialogue and maintaining relations with both Iran and the United States while deepening ties with Jordan, Gulf monarchies, and Turkey [Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs](https://mofa.gov.iq/), [European Council on Foreign Relations](https://ecfr.eu/). That balancing line is not rhetorical cover; it is regime-security policy, because any sharp tilt risks either militia backlash, U.S. pressure, or renewed internal fragmentation [Washington Institute](https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/), [International Crisis Group](https://www.crisisgroup.org/). Economically, Iraq is heavily concentrated, fiscally exposed, and still richer on paper than in state capacity. The World Bank classifies Iraq as an upper-middle-income economy, and oil still accounts for the overwhelming majority of exports and public revenue, leaving growth, spending, and patronage tied to global crude prices and export continuity [World Bank](https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/iraq/overview), [IMF](https://www.imf.org/en/Countries/IRQ), [OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin](https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/publications/202.htm). The user-provided nominal GDP figure of about $279.6 billion is consistent with Iraq’s status as one of the larger Arab economies by output, but that scale masks chronic unemployment, weak electricity supply, corruption losses, and dependence on imports, including gas and electricity linked to Iran [World Bank](https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/iraq/publication/economic-monitor), [IMF](https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/02/09/pr2450-iraq-imf-staff-concluding-statement-of-the-2024-article-iv-mission). Iraq’s economic profile is therefore best read as a rentier state under partial reconstruction: substantial oil income, but bottlenecks in power, water, logistics, and public administration keep that income from translating cleanly into diversified growth [UNDP Iraq](https://www.undp.org/iraq), [World Bank](https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/iraq). Three issues define Iraq’s current trajectory. The first is state control over armed force. Baghdad has been trying to tighten command over Iran-aligned armed groups and fold or restrain parts of the militia landscape, because no Iraqi government can fully stabilize policy while parallel chains of command remain active [Al-Monitor](https://www.al-monitor.com/), [Rudaw](https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq). The second is energy and fiscal vulnerability: export disruptions, disputes involving the Kurdistan oil file, and dependence on hydrocarbon revenue keep the budget exposed to both market swings and political shocks [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/), [Rudaw](https://www.rudaw.net/english/business). The third is the unfinished bargain among Shia parties, Sunni actors, and Kurdish factions over resource sharing, cabinet power, and federal authority; when that bargain holds, Iraq looks governable, and when it frays, external actors gain leverage fast [Carnegie Middle East Center](https://carnegie-mec.org/), [Chatham House](https://www.chathamhouse.org/). The practical assessment is that Iraq is neither collapsing nor consolidating. It has more diplomatic space than Lebanon or Syria, more resource weight than Jordan, and more institutional depth than many outside readers assume, but its sovereignty is still negotiated inside the state rather than exercised cleanly by it [International Crisis Group](https://www.crisisgroup.org/), [World Bank](https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/iraq/overview). The non-obvious point is that Iraq’s biggest foreign-policy asset is the same thing that makes it look weak: because no single faction can monopolize the system for long, Baghdad repeatedly returns to balancing behavior, which frustrates outside patrons but