Iraq After the 2025 Elections

The November 2025 Iraqi elections produced strong results for incumbent Prime Minister Muhammad al-Sudani and saw a high voter turnout. Masoud Barzani’s KDP and Muhammad Halbusi’s Taqaddum also performed well. Nevertheless, government formation will likely require months of negotiations. The Shi’a Coordination Framework will advance its own vision for a governing coalition, while Muqtada al-Sadr remains on the sidelines. What do the election results reveal about the public’s appetite for further political and economic reforms? Are we seeing a younger generation of Iraqis move away from rigid ethno-sectarian politics, and what would that mean for the future of the muhassassa system? How will the United States and Iran position themselves going forward, especially as the phased withdrawal of American forces continues?

On December 19, 2025, the Center for the National Interest convened a panel of experts to address these questions and more:

—Alfadhel Ahmed is an Independent Consultant.

—Hamzeh Hadad is an Adjunct Fellow with the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS).

—Kamaran Palani is the Principal Investigator of the Iraq PeaceRep Program at the London School of Economics’ Middle East Center.

—Shivan Fazil is a Ph.D. Student in the Department of Political Science at Boston University.

Joshua Yaphe, Senior Fellow at the Center for the National Interest, moderated the discussion.