Iran-Iraq relations after Saddam.

Abstract

Developments in post-Saddam Iraq will not only affect its foreign relations, they will also significantly affect the foreign policy framework and even the fractious political system of its most geopolitically significant neighbor—Iran. Although Tehran and Baghdad have dominated the security picture of the Persian Gulf for more than 20 years, Iran and Iraq are not somehow destined to be rivals. Despite severe tensions through the years, since the end of the Iran-Iraq War in 1988, these two countries have demonstrated the capacity to cooperate with one another. Nevertheless, several fundamental problems must be resolved before Tehran will view Iraq as a reliable neighbor. With the spotlight now very much on the political contours and emerging structures of a post-Saddam regime in Iraq, the situation is opportune to explore Tehran’s concerns and the methods available for addressing them, as well as the effects of the demise of the Ba’th regime on Iran’s regional policy and the prospects for U.S.-Iranian relations.