ECFR Alumni · Visiting Fellow
Iraqi politics; Iraqi foreign policy; democratisation in Iraq; federalism; international development
English, Arabic
Hamzeh Hadad is a visiting fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Hadad is a researcher and political analyst based in Baghdad. His research focus is democratisation and federalism in Iraq. He has published in and been cited by various media on Iraqi political affairs. In 2021, Hadad was an advisor to the president of the Trade Bank of Iraq. Prior to that, he was the development officer at the German Embassy in Baghdad for two years. He holds an MA in international affairs, specialising in international development policy, from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs in Ottawa.
As Israel and Iran clash, Iraq’s Shia leadership is trying to rein in domestic Iranian-backed paramilitaries to shield the country from becoming a new battleground in the Middle East
A discussion assessing Iranian foreign policy following Hamas’s attacks of 7 October, Israel’s war on Gaza and the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi
The cycle of escalation in the Middle East since 7 October means Iraq has once again found itself a staging ground for Iranian-US conflict. But the relationship between Iraq and Iran is complex and multifaceted – and Europeans can help Iraq build its autonomy
Recent escalations in Iraq’s contested Kirkuk province reveal the structural tensions inherent in the coalition government, posing a risk of Turkish and Iranian intervention and wider instability in the region
Quran desecration in Sweden and Denmark has drawn the ire of Muslim-majority countries. European governments should act now to prevent an escalation of tensions
Following the recent thaw in relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Iraq is strengthening its ties with GCC states. European countries should support this development, which could help Iraq address its domestic challenges
Post-invasion Iraq has proven resilient in the face of many challenges – but problems remain that Europeans could assist with resolving
Iraq’s new prime minister is well placed to negotiate both the pitfalls of domestic politics and to play a mediating role within the Middle East
Europeans should avoid supporting a snap election simply because a political leader is unsatisfied with the result of a government formation process and threatens violence in response
Iraqi leaders’ inability to form a government or deal with national challenges is destroying the legitimacy of the state. They need to appoint a new type of prime minister
The cycle of escalation in the Middle East since 7 October means Iraq has once again found itself a staging ground for Iranian-US conflict. But the relationship between Iraq and Iran is complex and multifaceted – and Europeans can help Iraq build its autonomy
Post-invasion Iraq has proven resilient in the face of many challenges – but problems remain that Europeans could assist with resolving
As Israel and Iran clash, Iraq’s Shia leadership is trying to rein in domestic Iranian-backed paramilitaries to shield the country from becoming a new battleground in the Middle East
Recent escalations in Iraq’s contested Kirkuk province reveal the structural tensions inherent in the coalition government, posing a risk of Turkish and Iranian intervention and wider instability in the region
Quran desecration in Sweden and Denmark has drawn the ire of Muslim-majority countries. European governments should act now to prevent an escalation of tensions
Following the recent thaw in relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Iraq is strengthening its ties with GCC states. European countries should support this development, which could help Iraq address its domestic challenges
Iraq’s new prime minister is well placed to negotiate both the pitfalls of domestic politics and to play a mediating role within the Middle East
Europeans should avoid supporting a snap election simply because a political leader is unsatisfied with the result of a government formation process and threatens violence in response
Iraqi leaders’ inability to form a government or deal with national challenges is destroying the legitimacy of the state. They need to appoint a new type of prime minister
Much of Iraq’s post-war history has been a question of survival of the state. Now, Shia politicians are driving an intra-sect competition for leadership
Iraq’s recent election upended the informal political agreement that had dominated its politics since 2003. European countries should press Iraqi leaders to break the current deadlock in parliament
A discussion assessing Iranian foreign policy following Hamas’s attacks of 7 October, Israel’s war on Gaza and the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi
Hamzeh Hadad on Iran’s Supreme Leader
In his commentary, Hamzeh Hadad argues that Iraq’s pursuit of security and sovereignty is deeply intertwined with the consequences of Assad’s collapse in Syria
Hamzeh Hadad on the Iraqi government’s response to the developments in Syria
HTS and Colani are sending the right messages to the international community, many actors want to reconsider the definition of terrorism
Hamzeh Hadad on the meeting between the head of the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS),
Hamzeh Hadad on Iraq holding the first nationwide census in four decades