Expanding Influence: Iran and Post-Saddam Iraq (2003 -2011)

             The Arabian Gulf, regarded as the “heart” of the Middle East, witnessed the struggle of regional hegemony that took place between Iran and Iraq, which are the two important representatives of Arabic and Persian culture, during the 20th century. The balances in the area changed drastically with the United States of America’s (USA) invasion of Iraq in 2003. The US invasion leading to Saddam Hussein’s overthrow provided Iran with a unique opportunity to reshape its national and regional position. One of the most important results of the war is that Iran, seizing the opportunity for strategic expansion in the Middle East in general and in the Arabian Gulf in particular, attained indisputable supremacy against Iraq. After the invasion of Iraq The Teheran administration started to reshape its relations with Iraq. By taking advantage of the security vacuum in Iraq, Tehran has been employing a broad policy that tries to manipulate its neighbour’s political, military, religious, and economic sectors.
As the Iraq War gets stalemated, the Shiite force’s rising in Iraq has transformed Iran-Iraq relations. In this new situation, Iran has shifted its Iraq policy in order to eliminate the traditional hostilities between the two nations and to develop its connections with Iraqi Shiite groups. Relying on its close ties with the Iraqi Shiites, Iran is trying to exert its influence on the Iraqi internal affairs so as to prevent the U.S. from changing Iran’s political system and threatening Iran’s national security. This paper will examine the roots of Iran's foreign policy towards Iraq under American occupation (2003–2011), the role of identity, Iraqi and Iranian perceptions, and Tehran's goals and various strategies.