Middle East Conflict
Burcu Ozcelik, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a think tank, said anything that economically damages Iraq will have a knock-on effect for Iran, which for several years has used its neighbour as a cash cow. “[Strikes on Iraq] could jeopardise Iran’s economic lifelines inside Iraq in the illicit trade of oil, for example, a market intertwined with Shia militia on the ground serving Iranian interests,” she said.
