The Procedure of Recognizing the Newly Founded Country of Iraq During the Period of Reza Shah (1921-1929)

With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire following World War I, a part of its territory was split among the Allies, leading to the formation of many countries, including Iraq. Iran regarded the territory of Iraq up to the Euphrates as a part of its territory since ancient time and had clashed with the Ottomans for centuries to achieve this goal and saw the Versailles Peace Congress to raise this demand after the conclusion of the war. However, the great powers, particularly Britain, had envisaged a different destiny for Iraq, and as a consequence, Iraq became Iran's western neighbor. Therefore, it is clear that, from this point on, Iran's stance toward the newly created Iraq was impacted by a historical backdrop which caused the Iranian government to refuse to recognize this country for years. This prompted the Iraqi government, fomented by the British Empire and seeking to consolidate its influence, to exert pressure on Iran through measures such as the deportation of Iranian religious scholars who criticized British trusteeship, canceling the capitulation of Iranian citizens in Iraq, as well as border disputes. Finally, this turmoil, combined with other national and international issues, compelled Iran to recognize Iraq. As a result, the problem of the present research is to know why and how the newly established Iraq was recognized by Iran after many years. Also, this research employs a descriptive approach, drawing on Persian and Arabic texts and sources from the historical era in question to study and explain the causes or factors impacting these relationships, as well as their shifts and evolutions.