Following a vote in the Iraqi parliament Jan. 5, requesting the government to work on expelling US troops from the country, US President Donald Trump threatened Iraq with severe sanctions, which would worsen the already destroyed Iraqi economy.

Although the successive Iraqi governments all had a role in destroying the economy, the government of Adel Abdul Mahdi, the current caretaker prime minister, played a large part due to a series of miserable policies and decisions he adopted since coming to office in October 2018.

The government, which resigned along Abdul Mahdi on Dec. 1, approved a package of economic decisions to ease the ongoing demands-triggered protests that erupted at the beginning of October. Yet experts believe the next government will not go forward with these decisions that will cost the economy huge losses.

The outgoing Iraqi government had vowed to boost the economy, but it failed to create jobs, build new projects or solve the crises that afflicted society. Iraq has weak basic services such as electricity, health care and education.