The Islamic State is using the disputed territories as a launching pad to attack security forces and Iraqi civilians. The Kurdish Regional Government and the Iraqi central government must solve their differences vis-a-vis the disputed territories in order to effectively combat and eradicate the Islamic State.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to expand its influence in Iranian public health matters. The United States should watch this development and explore policies to diminish the IRGC's role in public health.

The Najaf clerical establishment’s influence on Iraq’s political development is undeniable, requiring the United States to consider how Najaf perceives its actions.

Therefore, American foreign policy vis-à-vis Iraq should eschew militarization and instead focus on building Iraq’s governance capacity, a policy palatable to Iraq’s clerical establishment.

Clerical rule in Iran faces insurmountable challenges in sustaining its legitimacy and will find itself at a critical juncture with the inevitable death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The United States should acknowledge and act on this development to weaken the Islamic Republic’s model of clerical politics.