Iraq Independence Day
Saturday, October 3, 2026
In 1916, Sykes-. Picot Agreement. The secretly signed Sykes-Picot Agreement between Britain and France to divide Ottoman Arabia into British, French, and Russian spheres of influence
History
Iraq gained independence from Britain on October 3, 1932, though the modern Iraqi state emerged from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I. Following the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement between Britain and France to divide Ottoman territories, Britain established control over Mesopotamia. The British Mandate of Mesopotamia was established in 1920, creating the modern borders of Iraq from the three Ottoman provinces of Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul. King Faisal I, a Hashemite from Hejaz, was installed as monarch, and Iraq achieved formal independence as the Kingdom of Iraq on October 3, 1932, though British military and economic influence remained significant. Iraq's independence was complicated by ethnic and sectarian divisions among Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen, as well as tensions over oil resources. The monarchy was overthrown in 1958, and Iraq later experienced Ba'athist rule under Saddam Hussein. October 3 marks the day Iraq formally ended the British Mandate.
How It's Celebrated
Celebrate by learning more about the occasion, sharing on social media with relevant hashtags, participating in community events, or taking small personal actions that align with the day's theme.