Dear Madam or Sir,

the territorial decline of ISIL in Iraq and Syria raised hopes among the international community that there could be peace in Iraq. Yet even before the last safe havens of ISIL were eliminated, new areas of conflict began to emerge. Since their independence referendum, the Kurds have been struggling for unity and autonomy, while at the same time Iran has emerged as a new power within Iraq. In our latest Working Paper Stefan Lukas sheds light on the consequences and discusses three possible scenarios for German foreign and security policy in the region.