Disputed territories of northern Iraq

The disputed areas have been a core concern for many Arabs, Assyrians, Kurds, and Turkmens, especially since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and the subsequent political restructuring.

Kirkuk Governorate, strategically important because of its oil fields, as well as other areas were retaken by Iraqi government forces following the Iraqi-Kurdish conflict in 2017.

Tensions between Kurdistan Region and the central Iraqi government mounted through 2011–2012 on the issues of power sharing, oil production and territorial control.

[9] On November 25, it was reported that Kurdistan Region sent reinforcements to a disputed area where its troops were involved in a standoff with the Iraqi army, despite calls on both sides for dialogue to calm the situation.

[10] The Committee for implementing article 140 defines the disputed territories as those areas that were Arabised and whose borders were modified between July 17, 1968, and April 9, 2003.

[13] On June 12, 2014, all of Kirkuk Governorate was taken by Kurdish forces when Iraqi army withdrew following the success of the ISIL 2014 Northern Iraq offensive.