Study of the Geopolitical Challenges to the Independence of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Hussein Yaqubi

Understanding the geopolitical problems and constraints of states, as well as identifying their positive and negative variables, and determining the status of states at both regional and global levels, has always been a key concern for those interested in and researchers in political science and international relations. Following the collapse of the bipolar system and the defeat of Saddam Hussein by coalition forces, the issue of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq emerged as a significant geopolitical phenomenon in the region and the world, leading to the formation of a government with self-rule within Iraq. The issue of the Kurdistan Region’s independence remains an unresolved puzzle. This study aims to outline the geopolitical challenges facing the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, employing a descriptive and analytical methodology and collecting data from books and documents. The primary question of this study concerns the obstacles and constraints facing the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in its pursuit of independence. The results of the study showed that although the policy of cultural and ethnic genocide practiced against the Kurds in Kurdistan Iraq in the twentieth century has intensified their desire for independence from the central government, the establishment of an independent Kurdish state in the West Asia region is not possible due to existing economic, political, and geographical constraints.

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