Lt. Col. James Carafano (Ret.), senior counselor at the Heritage Foundation, has said Iraq is cooperating with the United States more closely than at any time in recent years, describing the partnership as a significant shift in regional dynamics.
Speaking on Fox News on Monday, July 20, 2026, Carafano said Washington and Baghdad have strengthened cooperation on energy security and regional stability. He pointed to a major oil agreement between the two countries, which he said is aimed at boosting the resilience of the region’s energy industry while deepening strategic ties.
Carafano also claimed the Iraqi government is taking a tougher stance against Iranian-backed militias, working to reduce their influence and remove them from the country. He described the effort as a major departure from previous years.
“We have an Iraqi government that is cooperating with the United States more than ever. We sealed a huge oil deal with them to bring more resilience to the oil industry in the region. They’re working to kick the Iranian militias out, diminish them, and get them out of the country,” Carafano said, adding that such cooperation would have been “unthinkable” four or five years ago.
