Iraq Becomes US-Iran Proxy Battleground, Threatening Stability & Progress

• Iraq is once again a proxy battleground for intensifying US-Iran tensions, threatening its democratic progress and development.
• Iran-backed Shia militias are attacking US military sites and oil installations in Iraq; the US Embassy in Baghdad was also hit by a missile.
• Both US and Iranian forces have conducted strikes against each other's paramilitary groups on Iraqi soil, eroding Iraqi sovereignty.
• The proxy fighting has shut down Iraq's oil extraction and exports, severely impacting its oil-dependent economy and government revenue.
• This crisis jeopardizes two decades of fragile progress in Iraq, including improved trust in institutions and a feeling of safety among its citizens.