Iraq's parliamentary elections come amid a notable decline in Iran’s regional influence, an absence of security unrest in Sunni cities, the unprecedented boycott by the Sadrist movement since 2005, and the exclusive adoption of biometric voting cards.

Baghdad’s ability to resist Iranian pressure is under scrutiny after reports that a senior Iraqi official rejected a request to channel money to Hezbollah via Syria, leaving open the question of whether the cash could yet reach Lebanon.

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission has disqualified hundreds of candidates just two months before the vote, a move that has unsettled political blocs across sectarian and partisan lines after each saw members struck from the race.

After Hezbollah rejected Lebanon’s new agreement with the United States to disarm the group, calling it “as if it never existed,” fears are growing that the move could spark an internal clash between the army and Hezbollah.

Activists have warned that groups like Allahiyah, led by Iran-backed Abdul Ali, can easily attract disillusioned youth to their cause, stressing the urgency for the government to address the conditions fueling its rise.