Relationship dossier
Iraq
Spain
Relationship assessment
A relationship shaped by Spain’s 2003 intervention and later security cooperation against ISIS.
Iraq toward Spain
+10The Iraqi government cooperated with international efforts against ISIS that included Spanish military trainers, providing a basis for Iraqi-Spanish security cooperation. The extent of Iraq’s other direct government cooperation with Spain is unclear.
Spain toward Iraq
-5Spain participated in the 2003 invasion and post-invasion stabilization effort in Iraq, then withdrew its troops in 2004. Spain later sent personnel to Iraq for international efforts against ISIS, including military training.
Overall relationship
+5The relationship has a mixed security history: Spanish military participation in the 2003 invasion and stabilization effort was followed by troop withdrawal, while later Spanish contributions to anti-ISIS training created a basis for cooperation. These opposing features shape the enduring bilateral relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Spain’s 2003 participation in the invasion and subsequent stabilization effort was followed by withdrawal of its troops in 2004. Later, Spain contributed personnel to international efforts in Iraq against ISIS, including military training. The relationship therefore combines a serious episode of Spanish military intervention with later security cooperation; the extent of other direct bilateral cooperation is less clear.
Areas of tension
- Spain’s participation in the 2003 invasion and post-invasion military presence in Iraq.
Key developments
Spain participated in the invasion of Iraq and deployed troops for the post-invasion stabilization effort.
Spain withdrew its troops from Iraq.
Spain contributed military personnel to international efforts in Iraq against ISIS, including training Iraqi forces.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of bilateral cooperation beyond security and military training is unclear.
- The scale and continuity of Iraqi-Spanish government cooperation in recent years are uncertain.