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Iraq in a Changing Middle East
23rd July 2026, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM (London, UK time)
Location/Venue: Online on Zoom
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Recent developments across the Middle East have created a rapidly evolving strategic environment with significant implications for Iraq’s political, security, and regional position. From the Iran war and the emergence of Syria’s new government to developments in Iraq–Turkey relations and the evolving relationship between Baghdad and Erbil, Iraq faces a complex set of domestic and external challenges that will shape its future trajectory.
This discussion will examine how these regional shifts are influencing Iraq’s governance, security, foreign policy, and internal political dynamics. Bringing together experts with diverse academic and policy backgrounds, the event will explore Iraq’s role within a changing regional order and consider the country’s strategic priorities, opportunities, and challenges in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical landscape.
Speakers
Prof. Dr Ahmed Rushdi | Prof. Rushdi is Senior Foreign Policy Advisor in the Office of the Secretary General of the Iraqi Council of Representatives. He previously served as Foreign Policy Advisor to former Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Salim al-Jabouri (2014–2018) and has also advised the Prime Minister’s Office Senior Leadership Training Programme.
Alongside his policy work, Prof. Rushdi is an academic specialising in immunology, with extensive experience in higher education and scientific research. Drawing on his experience at the intersection of academia and policymaking, he provides analysis on Iraq’s foreign relations, regional security, and strategic affairs. His work focuses on Iraq’s engagement with regional and international partners and the evolving geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East.
Dr Ruwayda Mustafah | Dr Mustafah is a British-Kurdish political scientist, author, and communications strategist based in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. She is the Founder and CEO of Saaba Communications, a strategic communications consultancy serving clients across the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, the Gulf, and the wider Middle East. She is also the founder of Women Beyond Network, an international network of female business owners and entrepreneurs. She holds a PhD from Kingston University London, where her research focused on the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, alongside a BA in Law and an MA in Political Communication. Her commentary has appeared in Al Jazeera, Gulf Times, Al Arabiya, the Washington Institute’s Fikra Forum, the LSE Middle East Centre blog, and Just Security etc.
Dr Fahil A. Abdulkareem | Dr Abdulkareem is a legal scholar, researcher, and lecturer at Duhok Polytechnic University in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. His research focuses on legal technology, criminal law, international security, and the geopolitical dynamics of Iraq, the Kurdish region, and the wider Middle East. He is a specialist on the Kurdish question at the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), where he regularly publishes analysis on regional security, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. Dr Abdulkareem’s work bridges academic research and policy analysis, with particular expertise in the intersection of law, technology, and international affairs.