Editing United Arab Republic (section)

===Foreign relations===
[[File:UAR and Arab Federation 1958.png|thumb|Middle East in 1958: United Arab Republic (red), [[United Arab States]] (red and light-red), [[Arab Federation]] (green), [[Emirate of Kuwait|British Kuwait]] (grass green), other [[British protectorate]]s in [[South Arabia|South]] and [[Eastern Arabia|East Arabia]] (light green)]]
The union was interpreted by the other nations of the world as a major threat to [[Jordan]]. Syria was seen as a source of instigation and shelter for Jordanian plotters against [[Hussein of Jordan|King Hussein]]. Egypt's own status as a state unfriendly to Western influence in the region (and thus to the close relationship between the British, in particular, and the Jordanian and Iraqi monarchies) added to the pressure. Hussein responded by proposing to [[Faisal II]] of [[Kingdom of Iraq|Iraq]] a Jordanian-Iraqi union to counter the UAR; such a union formed on 14 February 1958, as the [[Arab Federation]]. Jordan and Iraq agreed to establish a unified military command with a unified military budget, 80 per cent of which was to be provided by Iraq and the remaining 20 per cent by Jordan. Troops from both countries were exchanged in the arrangement.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}}

In nearby [[Lebanon]], [[President of Lebanon|President]] [[Camille Chamoun]], an opponent of Nasser, viewed the creation of the UAR with worry. Pro-Nasser factions in the country were mostly Muslims and [[Druze]], while the [[Maronites|Christian Maronite]] population generally supported Chamoun. These two sides began clashing, culminating in a [[1958 Lebanon crisis|civil war]] by May 1958. The former favoured merging with the UAR, while the latter feared the new country as a satellite of [[Communism]]. Although Nasser did not covet Lebanon, seeing it as a special case,<ref>{{Harvnb|Aburish|2004|p=164}}</ref> he felt obliged to back his supporters through giving [[Abdul Hamid al-Sarraj]] the task of sending them money and light arms, and training officers.<ref>{{Harvnb|Aburish|2004|p=166}}</ref>

On 14 July 1958, Iraqi army officers staged a [[14 July Revolution|military coup]] and overthrew the [[Kingdom of Iraq]] – which had just previously united with Jordan to form the rival [[Arab Federation]]. Nasser declared his recognition of the new government and stated that "any attack on Iraq was tantamount to an attack on the UAR". The next day American marines and British special forces landed in Lebanon and in Jordan, respectively, to prevent the two countries from opening up to pro-Nasser forces. To Nasser, the revolution in Iraq opened the road for Arab nationalism.<ref>{{Harvnb|Aburish|2004|pp=169–170}}</ref> Although most members of the [[Revolutionary Command Council (Iraq)|Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council]] (RCC) favoured joining Iraq with the UAR, the new prime minister [[Abdul-Karim Qasim|Abdul Karim Qasim]] disagreed. [[Said Aburish]] states reasons for this could have included Nasser's refusal to cooperate with and encourage the Iraqi Free Officers a year before the coup – or Qasim viewed Nasser as a threat to his supremacy as leader of Iraq.<ref>{{Harvnb |Aburish|2004|p=172}}</ref>

Later in July, the American government convinced Chamoun not to seek a second term. This allowed the election of [[Fouad Chehab]] as Lebanon's new president. Nasser and Chehab met at the Lebanese–Syrian border and Nasser explained to Chehab that he never wanted unity with Lebanon, but only that the country not be used as a base against the UAR. This meeting resulted in the end of the crisis in Lebanon, with Nasser ceasing to supply his partisans and America setting a deadline for retreating from the area.<ref>{{Harvnb|Aburish|2004|p=173}}</ref>

After the [[14 July Revolution|overthrow]] of its [[Hashemites|Hashemite]] [[Kingdom of Iraq|monarchy]] in 1958, Iraq became the Arab state most supportive of the UAR. Iraq sought to join the union; however, in 1959 Qasim cancelled the unity talks. After Qasim's [[Ramadan Revolution|overthrow in 1963]] the union idea resurrected with the proposal of Egypt, Iraq, and Syria reforming the UAR. A new flag was proposed, with three stars symbolizing the three states constituting the proposed union. However, the plan for a tri-partite union never materialised. Iraq continued to use the three-star flag and later adopted it as the national [[Flag of Iraq|flag]]. This three-star flag remained Iraq's national flag (with some modifications) until 2007.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}}