1. General description of the security situation

1.1 Political developments in Federal Iraq and in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI)

In a December 2024 briefing to the UN Security Council, Mohamed al Hassan, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), described Iraq as ‘more secure, stable and open’ than in previous years. He highlighted the successful completion of the national census in November 2024 and the parliamentary elections in the KRI as significant achievements. At the same time, he warned that these achievements risk being undermined by persistent and systemic corruption, which continues to hinder governance and development efforts.21

During the reference period, Iraq made progress on a national level to resolve political gridlock. After nearly a year of political stalemate, the Iraqi Parliament elected Sunni lawmaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani as its new speaker in late October 2024.22 In February 2025, controversial legislative changes came into force, including the Property Restitution Law and amendments to the General Amnesty Law and the Personal Status Law. The latter drew significant criticism from NGOs and Iraqi civil society, including Human Rights Watch, which highlighted that the amendments endangered the rights and protections of women and girls.23 (For further information on the latest legislation impacting civil and human rights see section 2.2.) Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the national parliamentary elections scheduled for November 2025. The ruling Shiite alliance, the Coordination Framework, has announced that its constituent parties will run separately, with plans to reunite post-election.24

In the realm of regional diplomacy, Iraq hosted the 34^th Arab League Summit in Baghdad in May 2025.25 Following the takeover of Damascus by a coalition of armed groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in December 2024, the Iraqi state rapidly recalibrated its foreign policy, shifting from its prior support of ex-president Bashar Al-Assad to a posture of cautious engagement with the new Syrian authorities. This strategic adjustment was framed primarily around safeguarding Iraq’s border security and fostering stable bilateral relations.26 Amid the escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict in June 2025, the Iraqi federal government and the .Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) both condemned Israeli airstrikes and emphasised their refusal to be drawn into the confrontation, publicly calling for de-escalation.27

At the international level, UNAMI is preparing to conclude its mandate by the end of 2025.28 Meanwhile, in September 2024, the United States and Iraq jointly announced a two-phase plan for the drawdown of coalition operations, with the first phase scheduled to be completed by September 2025.29 For further information on US involvement in Iraq, please see section 1.2.2 International involvement.