Introduction
Some of the challenges on various levels surrounding the Gulf role in Iran relate to the Gulf position on the Iraqi political reality after 2003, by refusing to deal with several governments, accusing them of being too close to Iran, especially in the two governments of former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki (2006-2014), where discord prevailed. As a response, the Iraqi governments have accused some Gulf countries of supporting armed groups in Iraq. Other challenges related to the political and security instability in Iraq manifested in great obstacles to Iraqi openness towards the Gulf regional environment.
