The revolution in Iraq in July 1958 became one of the most important events of its time, which changed the balance of power in the Middle East. Even though the natural course of events could have been an alliance between revolutionary Iraq and revolutionary Egypt, this alliance did not occur. On the contrary, the leaders of the two countries, Gamal Abd al-Nasser and Abd al-Karim Qasem, entered a fierce confrontation, trying to undermine each other's authority. This conflict manifested itself in competition for the leading role in the revolutionary Arab movement, and the struggle for influence in Syria, and, finally, the clash of personal ambitions of the Egyptian and Iraqi leaders. The undisputed leader of the pan-Arab movement, who triumphantly defended his country's interests during the Suez Crisis in 1956 and had just successfully created the United Arab Republic (UAR), Gamal Nasser, considered it his natural duty to support the Iraqi revolutionaries. However, he soon encountered a split within Iraq itself. Some of the Iraqi Free Officers inspired by Nasser's ideas and personality wanted immediate unity with the UAR, while others, led by Qasim, tried to preserve Iraq’s independence by ousting Nasser’s supporters and allies from the country’s leadership. Nasser first tried to demonstrate friendly intentions, then tried to exercise restraint, and finally moved into open conflict with Baghdad. This article examines the transformation of his attitude toward Abd al-Karim Qasim in the context of political dynamics in the Arab world and in Iraq in particular.