Iran's influence continues to shape new Iraqi government
After Iran succeeded in pushing through its preferred candidate for Iraq's parliament speaker, Tehran continued its pressure to secure the position of second deputy speaker, bringing the "score" to 2-0 against the US.
The Kurdish lawmaker was sitting in his flat Sept. 15 in Baghdad's Green Zone, under crippling pressure from the main Kurdish, Shiite and Sunni political parties to withdraw his nomination for the position of second deputy speaker of parliament.
With the threat of the Islamic State gone in bringing Iraqis together, the political parties found it difficult to reach an agreement about sharing power more than four months after May 12 elections, due to regional and international pressure, especially from Iran and the United States.
