Saifaldin Al-Darraji

Saifaldin Al-Darraji serves as the international affairs advisor at Iraq’s National Security Advisory and chair of the Security Sector Reform Support Committee. He plays a central role in shaping Iraq’s national security policy, with a particular focus on security sector reform, counterterrorism, and strengthening the governance and effectiveness of state institutions.

Al-Darraji brings a multidisciplinary background spanning military service, diplomacy, and strategic policy development. He is a former officer in the Iraqi armed forces and has held diplomatic roles at the Iraqi Embassy in the United Kingdom, where he worked on political and security affairs.

He is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom and is currently pursuing advanced studies at the United States Army War College.

Al-Darraji has contributed to the development of several key national-level strategic frameworks, including Iraq’s national security, security sector reform, counterterrorism, and national crisis and disaster management strategies as well as their associated implementation plans. This work has been carried out in close coordination with Iraq’s international partners, including the United Kingdom, United States, United Nations Development Program, and European Union Advisory Mission in Iraq.

He is the author of American Foreign Policy in Iraq From Obama to Trump: Troop Pull-Out and Counterterrorism, Secret Diplomacy, and National Security in a Complex World: Strategies for Confrontation. In addition, he has published widely in Arabic and English on foreign policy, national security, and strategic affairs.