Iran Losing Influence in Iraq

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's heavy-handed attempts to consolidate power have finally triggered a backlash from the country's Sunni minority, putting the ruling Shiite community on the defensive. The government's use of anti-terrorism laws to marginalize its opponents sparked an uprising in Sunni areas that has been ongoing for weeks. Occurring alongside a Sunni armed rebellion in Iraq's western neighbor, Syria, the unrest is destabilizing the regime in Baghdad.

In addition to unsettling Iraq's Sunnis, al-Maliki's moves have disrupted Iran's strategy for managing Iraq — a strategy that depends on balancing various Shiite factions. And with the Sunni revival in Syria encouraging a Sunni resurgence in Iraq, Tehran has no good options to deal with the rising threat and is struggling to prevent the gains it made in Iraq over the last decade slip away.