Abstract

Objective: With the collapse of the Baath regime in 2003, Iraq entered a new period in which systemic and internal factors affected the country's foreign policy. This research aims to investigate the effective factors in the evolution of Iraq's foreign policy after the fall of the Baath regime, to better understand Iraq's foreign policy as an important neighbor for Iran, and to understand the evolution in the foreign policy discourses of this country.
Method: This research is done with the method of collecting information through documents (studying related documents) and using the theory of neoclassical realism to analyze the internal and systemic factors affecting Iraq's foreign policy.
Findings: After examining the documents, this research found out the dependence of Iraq's foreign policy on foreign powers, especially the United States. After the fall of the Baath regime, a gradual trend towards the balance of power and relative independence in foreign policy was observed over time and the role of several factors in the evolution of Iraq's foreign policy, including the internal structure of Iraq, regional and international developments, pressure from foreign powers, and Iraqi public opinion.
Conclusion: This research concluded that Iraq's foreign policy has been affected by several factors at the internal and systemic levels. Neoclassical realism provides a suitable framework to explain these developments. Understanding the developments of Iraq's foreign policy is important for the relations between Iran and this country.