The Syrian Desert covers western Iraq in the Middle East.
Iraq ( [ ɪˈræk ] , [ ɪˈrɑːk ] , or [ aɪˈræk ] العراق ; عێراق ) , officially known as the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia , bordered by Turkey to the north , Iran to the east , Kuwait to the southeast , Saudi Arabia to the south , Jordan to the southwest , and Syria to the west . The Syrian Desert ( بادية الشام , bādiyat ash-shām ) also known as the Hamad , is a combination of steppe and true desert covering 500000 km2 the Middle East , covering parts of south-eastern Syria , northeastern Jordan , northern Saudi Arabia , and western Iraq .