Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is on something of a diplomatic roll at the moment. Having concluded a weeklong visit to the United States on July 19, 2026, during which he charmed President Donald Trump, al-Zaidi is now expected to head to Tehran to do the same with Iran’s new leaders. Trips to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Syria all figure on his itinerary, too.

The U.S. visit was the first – and arguably most important – stop on a broader effort to give domestic legitimacy to al-Zaidi’s government and attract foreign investment while elevating Iraq’s status in the Middle East.

Alongside seeking closer ties with Washington, Baghdad hopes to maintain its longstanding relationship with Tehran amid a renewed U.S.-Iran confrontation and the economic shock caused by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Becoming a bridge between the two countries – and a possible host to Iran-U.S. negotiations – will help establish Iraq in the delicate position.

But it is also telling that the U.S. visit – which included a high-level business summit and meetings with American energy executives in Houston – was carefully orchestrated with an eye towards a new U.S. regional strategy focused on trade and investment in the Middle East, with Iraq as a key component. As a close observer on Middle East geopolitics, I believe it all points toward Iraq’s emergence as a strategic connector in a Middle East increasingly shaped by energy, infrastructure trade and investment networks.

Iraq’s value to competing countries

Iraq’s growing importance as a potential nexus for diplomacy and commerce reflects both domestic changes and broader regional shifts. The massive degrading of the Islamic State group in Iraq and across the region, improvements in security and Baghdad’s more active diplomacy have expanded Iraq’s room for maneuver.

At the same time, the fall of the Tehran-aligned Assad regime in Syria, the weakening of Iran’s proxies in the region and the U.S.-Iran war have heightened the strategic value of Iraq’s geography, institutions and relationships. In short, as the regional balance has been reshaped and Iran’s traditional network of........

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