The Role of Identity and Interests in Iran's Foreign Policy towards Iraq

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Kermanshah University of Technology, Kermanshah, Iran

2 PhD in International Relations, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran

10.22126/mps.2025.11425.1048

Abstract

Iran-Iraq relations have long been complex and important due to their deep historical, cultural, religious, and geopolitical commonalities. After the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, these relations entered a new phase and the Islamic Republic of Iran emerged as a key player in Iraq's political developments. Iran's foreign policy towards Iraq, as one of its strategic and important neighbors, is influenced by several factors, including historical, religious, security, and economic. These policies are formulated and implemented with the aim of maintaining and expanding Iran's influence in the region and ensuring the country's national security and economic interests. Most of the existing literature on Iran's foreign policy towards the Middle East focuses mainly on military/strategic issues. They neglect the role of material interests in advancing Tehran's foreign policy. The aim of this research is to examine and resolve the issue of the relationship between identity and material interests in the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards Iraq, especially after the Arab Spring and the spread of ISIS. This study examines the complex relationship between identity and material interests that mutually reinforce each other to understand the multifaceted factors that shape the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the region. The present article seeks to answer the question of what impact identity and interests have had on Iran’s foreign policy towards Iraq? The main hypothesis of the article is that cultural and identity proximity helps the Islamic Republic to diversify its economy by exporting its non-oil goods to Iraq, where it enjoys soft and hard power but has a limited sphere of economic influence.

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 22 November 2024
  • Revise Date: 03 June 2025
  • Accept Date: 03 June 2025

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