The Future of Federalism in Iraq and Syria and Its Implications for Iran’s Strategic Interests in the Middle East

The main question this research seeks to answer is as follows: What implications will the future of federalism in Iraq and Syria bring about for Iran’s strategic interests in the Middle East? The hypothesis to answer the question is that as a regional power, Iran has such interests as strategic presence in the Levant region to contain Israel, making efforts at exporting gas to Europe through the Middle East, preventing spillover effect of the Kurdish movement to its territory and obstructing Turkey’s access to the Persian Gulf markets, and oil and gas energy resources. Therefore, probable independence of Iraqi Kurdistan would endanger Iran’s status as a regional power in the Middle East, turning Iran’s regional rivals including Turkey into the major decision makers concerning regional order. Using a descriptive-analytical method, this paper intends to investigate the future of Iraqi Kurdistan’s independence and its repercussions for Iran’s strategic interests in the Middle East.