Iraq Votes in a Pivotal Election Watched Closely by the US and Iran
Iraqis head to the polls today in a critical election that could redefine the country’s future — and one that the United States and Iran are watching with intense interest. This vote comes at a delicate moment for Iraq, a nation still healing from decades of war, political turmoil, and foreign influence.
Over the past few years, Iraq has enjoyed a rare period of stability as it tries to move beyond the legacy of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship and the aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion. Yet beneath the surface, millions still struggle with failing infrastructure, chronic unemployment, and deep-seated corruption. For many, promises of reform have faded into frustration, leaving them skeptical that today’s vote will bring real change.
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time and will close at 6 p.m., with more than 7,740 candidates — including nearly a third women — vying for 329 parliamentary seats. Over 21 million Iraqis are eligible to vote, though turnout is expected to be low, possibly even below the 41 percent recorded in 2021 — the lowest since Iraq’s democratic elections began.
“I’ve stopped believing elections can change anything,” said Al-Hassan Yassin, a university student in Baghdad. “Every four years it’s the same faces, the same speeches, and the same failures.”
Iraq’s political structure remains divided along sectarian lines. Since Saddam Hussein’s fall, the Shiite majority has dominated politics, with power-sharing arrangements giving the premiership to a Shiite, the parliamentary speakership to a Sunni, and the presidency to a Kurd.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who came to power in 2022 under the Coordination Framework, a coalition of Iran-backed Shiite parties, seeks a second term. He has positioned himself as a steady hand amid regional chaos — emphasizing reconstruction and cautious diplomacy between Iran and the US. Yet his return to power depends on post-election alliances, as no single party is expected to dominate outright.
Notably absent from this election is influential Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, whose 2021 victory led to political deadlock and violent clashes in Baghdad before he withdrew his movement from parliament entirely. His boycott has left a vacuum that could reshape Iraq’s political map.
Meanwhile, Sunni and Kurdish parties continue their rivalries, with former speaker Mohammed al-Halbussi leading the Sunni bloc and competition intensifying between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in the north.
Iraq remains a geopolitical balancing act — a close partner of both Washington and Tehran, yet wary of becoming a pawn in their regional rivalry. As the Middle East undergoes rapid transformation — with new alliances emerging and old powers waning — Iraq’s stability is crucial not only for its citizens but for the region at large.
The United States continues to push for a reduction in Iranian influence, recently appointing Mark Savaya as special envoy to Iraq. He has urged the government to “free Iraq from malign interference” — a clear signal of the ongoing tug-of-war shaping the country’s destiny.
For ordinary Iraqis, though, today is less about geopolitics and more about hope — the hope that perhaps this time, their voices might finally lead to something better.