French President Emmanuel Macron called for Iraq to be allowed to choose a path not dictated by foreign powers, in an address Tuesday to a summit aimed at helping to resolve Middle East crises. The "Baghdad II" meeting in Jordan, which alongside regional powers also includes officials from France and the European Union, follows an August 2021 summit in Iraq's capital organised at the initiative of Macron. Iraq has been caught for years in a delicate balancing act between its two main allies, the United States and Iran, and Baghdad only recently arrived at a fragile compromise government after a year of political stalemate. It has endured nearly two decades of turmoil since the US-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. For more on the Middle East summit, FRANCE 24 is joined by Hamzeh Hadad, a Visiting Fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations.


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