One cannot understand Iraq’s modern relationship with Iran without looking at its historic roots, for its history is at the religious, social and psychological heart of the relationship, and is tied to highly complex geopolitics and demographic realities. However, examining the past alone will not bring one to any logical understanding of today’s reality, for one must always take into consideration the real-time factors of social mobility and advancing private interests that influence the political tack of nations.
The historical roots of the complex dynamics that pervade the relationship between these two countries and peoples run deep, all the way back to the Sassanid era. During this period, Mesopotamia was under the rule of an ancient empire that controlled the known world for a few thousand years. It selected Ctesiphon, not far from Baghdad, as its capital for centuries. However contributing geographic factors created a cultural conflict, stemming from the fact the lands of Iraq gave birth to civilizations and empires that influenced the value systems of that ancient world.