Macron in Iraq: What is the situation in the country?

After a US-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraq was ravaged by waves of sectarian conflict that culminated in the Islamic State group capturing swathes of the country six years ago, before the jihadists were beaten back with international support. At the same time, the country has been caught for years between its two main allies Iran and the US, a balancing act that has become increasingly tortured since Washington’s withdrawal in 2018 from a multilateral nuclear deal with Tehran.