Iran protests bring new volatility to Iraq’s politics and markets

SULAIMANIYA/ERBIL - The ongoing wave of protests in Iran has added a fresh layer of uncertainty for Iraq, altering political calculations in Baghdad while also testing the resilience of the economy in the Kurdistan Region and other border areas.

Even if the unrest across the border stops short of unseating the regime, Iraqi observers see the potential for significant impacts at home: a prolonged crisis could tighten informal dollar channels, disrupt cross-border trade, and weaken Tehran’s ability to steer Iraq’s next round of government formation.