Perspectives Iran – Iraq

Farzad Ramezani Bonesh

The past

Iraq is in the north of the Persian Gulf and has a common land and sea border with Iran, and in ancient times Iraq was a part of the core of Persia for about a thousand years.

Since the British protectorate over Iraq (1920) and then the country’s independence in 1932 and until the end of the monarchy in 1958, the relations between the two governments have faced many ups and downs.

With the ruling of the Baath regime in Iraq, another period of dark relations between the two countries began. Although the conclusion of the 1975 Algerian agreement caused a temporary end to the disputes, after the victory of the Islamic revolution in 1979, Iraq canceled the 1975 Algerian agreement in a memorandum and started the 8-year war. This eight-year conflict reached an end with the 1988 ceasefire. The two countries strengthened their diplomatic relations in October 1990. In January 2002, and before the US-led Iraq war, bilateral relations improved significantly.

Current political and geopolitical dimensions of relations

From 1921 to 2003, Iraq was Iran’s most hostile neighbor, and territorial and border disputes, ethnic and racial issues, and geopolitics were among the main tension factors. After the start of the US-led war against Iraq in 2003, the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, and the coming to power of pro-Iranian Shiite factions led to the normalization of relations between the two countries.

Tehran helped rebuild Iraq and relations have flourished since 2005 with the exchange of extensive and high-level meetings. The two Shia governments have become very close allies, and current relations are the strongest since the creation of the modern Iraqi state in the 1920s.^[1]

In the past decade, Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish parties and even smaller ethnic and religious individuals and groups have strengthened their relations with Iran.

Despite fluctuations and crises in the relations between the two countries in the last two decades, it has not faced any major tension.

Ebrahim Raisi, the president of Iran came to power in August 2021. He believes that there are many areas for the development of relations between Iran and Iraq in various fields.^[2] From Tehran’s point of view, Iran’s neighbours benefit from a vital economic, commercial, and political capacity. Therefore, the continuation of the all-round development of relations with neighbours is one of the fundamental axes in the foreign policy doctrine of Raisi’s government.^[3]

In the past years, the focus of part of the Iranian-Iraqi meetings has been on reducing the tension between Iran and the United States and also mediation in the normalization of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani, the Prime Minister of Iraq, welcomed the increase in strategic dialogue between the two countries.^[4] Therefore, despite the unprecedented tension following Iran’s recent missile attack on Erbil, ^[5]Tehran tried to restore damaged relations with Iraqi Kurdistan and Iraq. Even after the tension, Qasim al-Aarji, Iraq’s national security adviser, called the relations between these two countries important and strategic.^[6]

Also, coordination and consultation between Iran and Iraq in some regional cases such as developments in Syria, the issue of Palestine, international and common threats, security issues, and the security of the region is developing.

Iraq’s support for Iran’s peaceful nuclear program and support for any agreement about Iran’s nuclear program and broader regional cooperation and dialogues with Iran and the expansion of Iran’s relations with its neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, ^[7]have kept the range of bilateral consultations warm.

Many in Iraq, especially the Shiite groups, believe that Baghdad is the biggest beneficiary of close relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

In the past years, Iran helped Iraqi official forces as well as Kurdish forces against ISIS and terrorism.^[8] Baghdad welcomed Iran’s position and its help during the ISIS crisis, and Iraqi leaders have also pointed out Iran’s special position. Since September 2015, the creation of a joint information exchange center in Baghdad between Russia, Iran, Iraq and Syria was considered to coordinate information against ISIS. Iran’s position in Iraq reached its peak in the war with ISIS.

Iran is now the most influential regional actor in Iraq.

Several factors such as Iraqi Shia parties, coordination of security and military institutions have contributed to good relations.

In this regard, the recent visit of Ali Akbar Ahmadian, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, to Iraq was in the framework of the continuation of consultations between the two countries, security cooperation and joint countering the threat of terrorism and strengthening cooperation to consolidate stability and security in the region and also maintain the consolidation of security in the common borders. ^[9]

Although Iran was the first country to open its consulate in the Kurdistan region, it is interested in maintaining some kind of unity in Iraq and does not accept Kurdish separatism in Iraq.

On March 19, 2023,^[10] Iran and Iraq signed a border security agreement, based on which, armed groups in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq are not allowed to attack Iran through border crossings. Tehran demands the commitment of the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan region to remove terrorist groups from the border areas with Iran, transfer them, try to disarm them, and fully implement the security agreement.

Iranian officials also suspect that Israel has infiltrated the Kurdish regions of Iraq. Therefore, Tehran wants the strict implementation of a border security agreement,^[11] the expansion of security cooperation, and the fight against the influence of groups on Iranian soil.

In addition, the recent December^[12] meetings of the high military officials of the two sides, have stressed examining the fields of developing military relations between Iran and Iraq and operational and training cooperation with Iraq.

Currently, a large number of Iraqi students are studying in the universities of the Iranian Armed Forces.

Relations in the fields of energy and economy

In the field of energy, there are opportunities such as the geographical proximity of oil fields, the possibility of refinery building in the common borders and the integration of common oil fields, the presence of Iranian companies, the implementation of the oil swap project, and the creation of common pipelines between Iran, Iraq, and Syria. It is also possible to implement the project of transferring Iran’s gas to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Europe.

Previously, the president of Iraq demanded attention to Iraq’s water rights^[13] from the rivers leading to the Tigris and Euphrates. Iran emphasized respecting its water rights and water reserves in the region.

The recent joint meeting of Iranian and Iraqi officials^[14] has been aimed at expanding bilateral technical and legal discussions in the field of water resources, implementing joint water projects on border rivers, forming specialized committees, and adopting joint mechanisms to prevent the advance of brackish water.  

Now land road, rail, air, sea, and joint land transportation are of interest. In recent years, the launch of a passenger shipping line, the establishment of road and rail transit lines to Syria and Kuwait, the start of the construction of the recent Shlamcheh-Basra rail connection project; (the southernmost point of Iran to the southernmost point of Iraq), the talks about the “Development Road” (land and rail route from Iraq to Turkey and its ports) have been considered by both sides.

Apart from the strengthening of border crossings and plans on free zones, Tehran has put on the agenda, the use of the national currency^[15] of the two countries in commercial transactions, the creation of joint institutions, including the creation of a joint bank, the creation of a joint free zone and the creation of a joint transport company between Iran and Iraq for development.

In the years when Iran was under severe sanctions, economic relations between Iran and Iraq were strengthened to some extent. Bilateral trade (March 2022-23) has been more than 10 billion dollars. Iraq is one of the main destinations of Iran’s agricultural and food products, as well as exports of mining and mineral industries.^[16]

Vision

Since January 2010, the two countries have signed more than 100 economic and cooperation agreements. The increase in trade to about 30 billion dollars has been approved by the authorities of the two countries.^[17] Iran and Iraq have a common position regarding OPEC and OPEC+ policies. There is also the possibility of greater economic and geopolitical cooperation between the two countries in structures such as BRICS, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, etc.

One of the major potentials of relations is in the field of pilgrimage tourism, and Iran still has good soft power in Iraq. Also, the cooperation between the legislative assemblies of Iran and Iraq and regular dialogues at high levels will continue. Despite some political challenges, such as the complaint of the Iraqi government against the Islamic Republic for violating its sovereignty,^[18] as well as other economic challenges, such as the risk of reducing informal dollar transactions in the Iraqi market, reducing the possibility of buying Iranian goods, and some requests in the Kurdistan region for the embargo on Iranian goods, the multi-dimensional perspective of the relations between the two countries continues to develop.

From Tehran’s point of view, the relations between Tehran and Baghdad are strong^[19] and some events cannot hurt the depth and strength of the relations between the two countries of Iran and Iraq, and the relations between the two sides are privileged, special, and deep.

Tehran considers itself the biggest defender of the security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Iraq and the supporter of the unity and territorial integrity of this country.  It considers^[20] the right of legitimate defence in the framework of international law in the Kurdistan region, along with respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq.

To deal with the “threat to national security” in the framework of security and intelligence cooperation between Iran and Iraq, Iran still considers its national security as its red line.

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[1] https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/uncategorized/iran-and-iraq-the-struggle-for-tenable-relations/

[2] https://www.president.ir/fa/143577

[3]https://www.farsnews.ir/news/14020330000563/%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%AF%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%87-%D9%87%D9%85%D9%87-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B7-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%87%D8%B3%D8%AA%DB%8C%D9%85-

[4]https://www.isna.ir/news/1402033019885/%D8%AE%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B2%DB%8C-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%BE%DB%8C%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%AA-%D9%88-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%87-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%87-%D9%88-%D9%BE%DB%8C%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%AF-%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF

[5]http://www.irdiplomacy.ir/fa/news/2024179/%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%81%DA%A9%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B7-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D9%BE%D8%A7%DA%A9%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA

[6]https://akharinkhabar.ir/amp/politics/9917484/%D8%A8%D8%BA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B7-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%85%D9%87%D9%85-%D9%88-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA%DA%98%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA

[7]https://fararu.com/fa/news/665884/%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B7-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%BE%DB%8C%DA%86%DB%8C%D8%AF%D9%87

[8] https://cfri-irak.com/en/article/irans-iraq-policy-from-2003-to-the-present-day-2022-04-27

[9]https://mdeast.news/2024/01/29/%DA%A9%D9%86%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B7-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%85%D8%A8%D8%AA%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D8%B1/

[10] https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iraq-iran-sign-deal-tighten-border-security-2023-03-19/

[11]https://www.irna.ir/news/85184985/%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%85%D8%A8%D8%AA%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B7-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%85%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D9%87%D9%85%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D9%87%D9%85%D9%87-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%85%DB%8C

[12]https://defapress.ir/fa/news/635006/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%84%D8%B4%DA%A9%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B1%D8%B3%DB%8C-%D8%B2%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%86%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%87-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B7-%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C-%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%87%D9%85%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D8%A2%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%B4%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%87%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA

[13] https://www.president.ir/fa/143578 

[14]https://www.satkab.ir/%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%88-%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF/%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A8%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%84%D9%84/%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%AA%D8%B1%DA%A9-%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88-%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D8%A8%DB%8C-%D8%B9

[15]https://www.irna.ir/news/85311689/%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%B5%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%A8-%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%B1%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%86%DA%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%B5%D9%87%DB%8C%D9%88%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%BE%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86

[16]https://financialtribune.com/articles/domestic-economy/117826/exports-to-iraq-hit-record-high-of-10b-in-fy-2022-23

[17]https://www.isna.ir/news/1402061409519/%D8%B4%D9%84%D9%85%DA%86%D9%87-%D8%A8%D8%B5%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AF%D9%85%D9%87-%DA%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%B4-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B7-%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82

[18] https://www.radiofarda.com/a/iran-proxy-groups-and-government-within-government-problem-in-iraq/32791294.html

[19] https://mfa.gov.ir/portal/newsview/738843

[20] https://mfa.gov.ir/portal/newsview/738843

Farzad Ramezani Bonesh is an iranian analyst and journalist covering the Middle East and Asia

GSPI does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of GSPI, its staff, or its trustees.