Overview
- Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is seeking a renewed mandate under the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, promoting a six-pillar Vision 2050 to modernize the economy and government.
- The Coordination Framework that brought him to power has splintered into rival Shiite blocs, and influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has called for a boycott.
- Security officials say ISIS has been reduced to roughly 400–500 fighters, and militia strikes on U.S. and Israeli targets have largely ceased over the past year.
- Voter registration has increased by about 5 million since 2023, yet the record-low 41 percent turnout in 2021 underscores uncertainty about participation and the shape of post-vote bargaining.
- Baghdad is reinforcing ties with the United States through energy investment, with agreements in principle involving Chevron and ExxonMobil presented as part of a strategy to lock in stability.