Are Iran and Iraq different?
Despite their similar sounding names, Iran and Iraq are very different countries. Iraq is much smaller; its population of 23 million people is about a third of Iran's. Iranians consider themselves Persians; Iraqis identify themselves as Arabs. While both countries are Islamic, the government of Iran is of the Shi'a sect while the government of Iraq is Sunni. The Iraqi ruling party is secular while the Iranian government is fundamentalist.
Iran and Iraq fought a war from 1980 to 1988 that resulted in the deaths of up to a million people. While the two countries have reestablished diplomatic relations they remain unfriendly rivals for influence in the Islamic world.
Federation of American Scientists on the Iran-Iraq War