Analyzing the views of regional and transnational countries regarding the declaration of Independence of Iraqi Kurdistan

One of the most controversial issues within Iraq and throughout the Middle East is the issue of Iraqi Kurds' independence. The unilateral declaration of independence and the referendum by the KRG in 2017 led to opposition from the Iraqi Administration and neighboring countries, that way the declaration of independence was soon rejected. The present study intends to explain the views of Iraq's neighbors regarding the declaration of independence of the Kurds of Iraq, also the reasons of this opposition and their concerns. Explaining the policies of Russia, the European Union, the United States and Israel towards the independence of the Kurds will also be among the aims of the present study. The findings show that security concerns about the territorial integrity of the region have been the main cause of opposition by these states to the formation of an independent Kurdistan, while other transnational actors have sought to adopt ambiguous positions and take advantage of this issue as a means of securing their national interest. The method of research in this research is analytical-descriptive and the resources are collected in library method.