03/02/2026
Statement on the Expanding U.S.-Israeli War on Iran and Its Impact on Iraq
The Enabling Peace in Iraq Center - EPIC is alarmed by the escalating U.S. and Israeli military campaign against Iran and its widening repercussions across the Middle East. These hostilities have been launched without U.S. congressional authorization and without a clearly defined political objective or realistic plan for how this conflict would end. Launching a "preventive" war amid ongoing diplomatic negotiations sets a dangerous precedent and further erodes the already fragile rules-based international order.
While the removal of oppressive leaders can inspire hope for greater freedom, history shows that decapitation strategies do not guarantee better outcomes for the people affected—or for broader regional stability. Encouraging the Iranian people to overthrow an entrenched authoritarian regime without a credible plan for what follows risks reckless endangerment. We are reminded of the 1991 Iraqi uprising against Saddam Hussein, when signals of U.S. support were not matched by sustained protection, leaving civilians exposed to brutal retaliation. We have already seen the Iranian regime's willingness to use lethal force against its own people, with reports indicating as many as 30,000 civilians killed in the January 2026 crackdown alone.
Escalating violence threatens vital trade corridors on which millions depend, including in allied and partner countries across the Gulf and in Iraq. Airspace is closed. We are already witnessing the human cost. Beyond the tragic loss of life inside Iran—including reports of civilian casualties at a girls' school in Minab—the conflict is spilling across borders. Iranian retaliatory strikes have reportedly targeted civilian infrastructure in multiple Gulf states.
For Iraq, the danger is not abstract—it is immediate.
Despite Baghdad's efforts to maintain a policy of neutrality, Iraq is being drawn into the line of fire. Over the past 48 hours there have been clashes between pro-Iran demonstrators and Iraqi security forces near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad; airstrikes on Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) sites that killed at least six; a drone attack on U.S. forces near Erbil airport; and explosions and reported casualties at Baghdad International Airport. And this morning, amidst the chaos, women's rights champion Yanar Mohammed was assassinated outside her Baghdad home—a stark reminder that when states wage war, it is civil society that often pays the price.
Absent clear moral justification, strategic necessity, and defined political objectives, the current hostilities are fueling chaos and uncertainty across the region. Prolonging this conflict guarantees only more bloodshed, more displacement, and deeper instability.
EPIC therefore calls for:
An immediate cessation of hostilities by all parties;
Full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states;
Full compliance with international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure by all parties;
Sustained diplomatic engagement conducted in good faith, including the resumption of negotiations on the Iran nuclear program under the auspices of a respected and neutral broker; and
Specific measures to protect Iraqi civil society, which now faces heightened risk as armed actors exploit the chaos.
The United States Congress must reassert its constitutional authority and demand accountability for this unauthorized campaign. The international community—including the United Nations, European partners, and regional governments—must urgently coordinate diplomatic de-escalation, insist on respect for state sovereignty, and establish channels for mediation to prevent further regional spillover.
The people of Iraq, and Iran and the broader Middle East, deserve more than a future written by military aggression and casualty counts. They deserve genuine human security. They deserve a chance to determine their own future—peacefully.
Enabling Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC)
March 2, 2026
