The country is determined not to be used as a proxy in the fight between its closest neighbour and one of its most important allies according to a recent article published by Financial times.

Veteran Iraqi lawmakers who know both sides well say they do not believe either Tehran or Washington intends to start a war. Yet “sometimes war doesn’t happen by design”, says Hoshyar Zebari, Iraq’s former foreign minister. “But by mistake.”

“Iraqis deserve far better,” says Mr Salih. “But there is no denying the situation . . . is improving.” He wants to focus on domestic problems — Iraq’s fast-growing population needs 12,000 new schools, for example — and making Iraq a regional hub for “economic collaboration and integration” rather than a proxy battleground for others.

https://www.ft.com/content/fca0b574-bde4-11e9-b350-db00d509634e