On Apr. 7, the United States and Iraq engaged in a third round of “strategic dialogue.” Topics of discussion included energy, economy, culture, education—and most importantly, security.

These discussions are the first of their kind under the new US administration led by Joe Biden. In his inaugural address on Jan. 20, Biden vowed to forge a new path in foreign policy based on diplomacy rather than forcefulness.

The new administration in Washington has made sure to strike an optimistic tone on Iraq thus far. But given the wide range of intractable issues the country is facing, is this optimism unfounded?