The Role of Identity in Iraq’s (post- Saddam) Challenges and Iran’s Foreign Policy Orientation

Subject Areas : علوم سیاسی

مسلم  حقی ¹ (Ph.D. Candidate in International Relations, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University Tabriz, Iran.)
Mohammad  Yousefi Jouybari, ² (Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University Tabriz, Iran)

Received: 2023-08-04 Accepted : 2023-08-04 Published : 2022-12-01

Keywords: Foreign policy, challenge, Identity, Orientation, Constructivism Theory,

Abstract :

With the collapse of Iraq’s previous political structures by US invasion in 2003, all political and social institutions based on Ba'ath party ideology were dismantled and Iraq entered into a new phase. The democracy entrance in Iraq began in 2003 and led to an acceptable political participation level with the constitution drafting in 2005 and with various election holding by people direct voting. Iraq’s entrance into the new phase has made regional actors sensitive to their future, including Iran. Iraq’s domestic ethnic-religious characteristics and geographical location have tied its events to its neighbors and international actors. The political structure, social realities and the lack of comprehensive identity to achieve political order have created many challenges in current Iraq. These challenges in various political, social, ethnic-religious, security, etc. dimensions have disturbed the forming of a national identity process in Iraq and created the necessary ground for terrorism and terrorist groups’ emergence and creation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of identity in Iraq’s (post- Saddam) challenges and Iran’s foreign policy orientation applying Constructivism Theory. The descriptive-analytical method and library resources used in collecting data and information.