Although U.S. influence in Iraq is growing through renewed energy investment and political leverage, Baghdad’s continued alignment with Tehran continues to complicate Washington’s strategic objectives. Photo courtesy of Iran international. The U.S. position in Iraq is improving. But Baghdad’s alignment with Tehran continues to complicate the relationship. Commercially, the picture is genuinely positive: ExxonMobil, Chevron, and BP have returned to Iraq on contract terms far more favorable than the agreements that drove Western firms out a decade ago. Baghdad has actively courted this investment as a hedge against regional instability. Politically, the picture has not shifted nearly as far. The Coordination Framework, the Iran-aligned Shia coalition, still controls both the Oil and Finance Ministries. A deputy oil minister has been alleged to serve as…
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