Foreign Strategic Performance in a Conflicting Environment: Iraq and Regional environment as a Model

Abstract

This research aims to analyze Iraq’s external strategic performance after 2017, marking the end of the war against ISIS, and to explore its future strategic options amid the intensifying competitive nature of its regional environment. The research positions Iraq as a case study to examine the impact of a conflict-driven regional landscape on a state's external strategic conduct. The study is grounded in the hypothesis that there exists a reciprocal relationship between the effectiveness of a state's external strategic performance and the level of competitive interactions in its regional environment. The higher the intensity of these interactions, the more they influence the strategic effectiveness of states transitioning from instability to stability.