Non scherzare con la corda del boia.
Iraq 2022-2024
Ilford Hp5+ 135mm film
In the past twenty years, Iraq has become Iran’s key sphere of influence in the Near East. The fall of Saddam Hussein and the restructuring of Iraqi institutions allowed Shiite factions, long repressed by Sunni-led governments, to rise with Tehran’s support. Anchored in the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf, where millions of pilgrims commemorate the martyrdom of Ali and Hussein, Iraq embodies Shiite religious identity: devotion to the founding Imams, the expectation of the Mahdi, and the theological weight of Najaf’s hawza. Iran has woven these traditions into its political strategy, blending faith and power. The war against ISIL further strengthened Tehran’s hold, as pro-Iranian militias were absorbed into the state and connected to allied movements in Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. Today, Iraq stands at the crossroads of religion and geopolitics, where Shiite symbolism fuels both spiritual devotion and regional power struggles.