The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region ( "Ḥizb al-Ba‘th al-'Arabī al-Ishtirākī fī al-'Irāq"), officially the Iraqi Regional Branch, is an Iraqi Ba'athist political party founded in 1951 by Fuad al-Rikabi. It was the Iraqi regional branch of the original Ba'ath Party before changing its allegiance to the Iraqi-dominated Ba'ath movement following the 1966 split within the original party. The party was officially banned following the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, but despite this it still continues to function underground.