In case anyone is interested, I personally visited the Iraq consulates in Jeddah and Istanbul and was told by both that it is not possible (for US citizens) to apply for a tourist visa in advance, only at the airport. In Jeddah I asked about wanting to cross overland into Iraq via Kuwait and was told that they have no idea if you can get a visa in advance in Kuwait city or on arrival at the Kuwait-Iraq border.
I have never heard of a country only issuing visas on arrival, not beforehand from an embassy or consulate; usually you have the option of getting a visa in advance and the VOA is just meant to be more convenient. Personally, I have decided to fly from Istanbul to Baghdad and will be doing so on Tuesday. Hopefully the VOA is as easy to get as everyone says.
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