The United States has been struggling to manage the continuing rifts among the Iraq’s Shia, Sunnis and Kurds (and divisions within these factions) since its 2003 invasion. Now that U.S. forces have left, Iraq has become more vulnerable to the maneuvers of neighboring states, and the competition among Baghdad’s stakeholders has become even more significant. Both Iraq’s domestic stakeholders and interested regional entities — particularly Iran and Saudi Arabia — will attempt to avoid a breakdown of the political system, but Iraq's place at the center of this regional struggle bodes ill for its continued political stability. Each of Iraq’s three main ethno-sectarian groups will simultaneously attempt to negotiate with one another, but all have immediate goals that run counter to those of their rivals.
