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As Iraq's protests continue, is political solution on the horizon?

As the Iraqi government feels the pressure of protests, political leaders are moving toward forming a national front to resolve the Iraqi crisis.

Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr protest against what they say is U.S. presence and violations in Iraq, during a demonstration in Baghdad, Iraq January 24, 2020. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani - RC28ME988GRG
Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr protest the US presence in Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 24, 2020. — REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani

Iraq's current situation has come to resemble a tangled ball of yarn, with new complications and complexities arising daily.

While the protesters fire up the political scene, political parties are unable to calm the tension and send the protesters home. Meanwhile, the tensions between Iran and the United States are intensifying.

Dynamics of conflict

Iraq has turned into a direct battleground between Iran and the United States, yet internal actors are trying to pull Iraq out of the funnel of tensions between the countries.

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