Iraq's Gaps and Challenges of Integration: Implications and Security Implications for Iran

Post-Saddam Hossein Iraq is one of the most important foreign policy areas of the Islamic Republic of Iran. While internal gaps, political competition and security challenges have increased in the new Iraq, the formation of a Kurdish state in the western borders of Iran and disintegration of Iraq, as one of the most likely scenarios for the future of this country, is further reinforced. So, the purpose of this study is to investigate how the disintegration of Iraq affects the national security of Iran? Theoretically, Lenore G. Martin’s interdisciplinary national security approach have been used to measure this issue. In terms of method, the Casual Method has been applied to understand the relationship between variables. The findings of the study indicate that the faults resulting from the Iraqi disintegration by activating minorities and causing various ethno-religious gaps, the creation of new states in the vicinity of Iran and the strengthening of opposition groups and rival actors have led to the formation of widespread security threats against the territorial integrity, social cohesion and political system of Iran. Therefore, despite the fact that effective policies and practices to support the unity and stability of Iraq has taken by Iran, reducing the threat posed by Iraq experience require greater focus on aspects of the possibility of such a scenario.