What did Iraq and Iran used to be?
Since the Ottoman–Persian Wars of the 16th and 17th centuries, Iran (known as “Persia” prior to 1935) and the Ottomans fought over Iraq (then known as Mesopotamia) and full control of the Shatt al-Arab until the signing of the Treaty of Zuhab in 1639 which established the final borders between the two countries.
What was Iran called before it was called Iran?
Persia
ancient Iran, also known as Persia, historic region of southwestern Asia that is only roughly coterminous with modern Iran.
What caused the Iran Iraq?
Iraq’s primary rationale for the invasion was to cripple Iran and prevent Ruhollah Khomeini from exporting the 1979 Iranian Revolution movement to Shia-majority Iraq and internally exploit religious tensions that would threaten the Sunni-dominated Ba’athist leadership.
Why do Iran and Iraq have similar names?
Iran, pronounced “ih-RON” instead of “AY-ran” roughly translates in English to mean “Land of the Aryans” while the name Iraq, similarly pronounced “ih-ROCK” instead of “AY-rack” comes from an Uruk (Erech) word for “city.” Both countries have also been known by different names, Persia for Iran and Mesopotamia for Iraq.
What are the religious differences between Iraq and Iran?
One of the stark similarities between Iran and Iraq is its shared national religion of Islam, with 90\% of Iran and 60\% of Iraq following Shia tradition while 8\% and 37\% follow Sunni, respectively.
What is the etymology of Iran and Iraq?
While the origin of Iraq is uncertain due to it’s ancient origin, the etymology of Iran is well known. It came from the inscriptions that accompany the investiture relief of Ardashir I (224–242): in the inscription the king called himself “Ardashir, king of kings of the Iranian people”…
When did Iraq become part of the British Empire?
Ottoman rule ended with World War I, and the British Empire administered Iraq as Mandatory Iraq until the establishment of the Kingdom of Iraq in 1933. A republic formed in 1958 following a coup d’état. Saddam Hussein governed from 1979 to 2003, into which period fall the Iran–Iraq War and the Gulf War.
What were the proxy forces in the Iran-Iraq War?
There were a number of proxy forces operating for both countries—most notably the People’s Mujahedin of Iran, which had sided with Iraq, and the Iraqi Kurdish militias of the KDP and PUK, which had sided with Iran.
What is the origin of the Arabic name al-ʿIrāq?
The Arabic name al-ʿIrāq (العراق) has been in use since before the 6th century CE. There are several suggested origins for the name.