Strategic Assessment

Evidence of Iran’s involvement in Iraq has mounted in recent years. The military assistance Iran supplies the Shiite militias in Iraq – in financing, training, and armaments – has drawn most of the attention. At the same time, Iranian involvement in Iraq has political, economic, and religious dimensions, whereby Iran is seeking to forge a state with Shiite dominance sharing Iran’s interests, a state that would not threaten Iran’s standing in the region and would be as free of American influence as possible. The essay seeks to examine the nature of this involvement and the motivation behind it, as well as its limits and possible ramifications.