The last of the US-led coalition forces are leaving Iraq. It’s a significant bonus for Iran. The withdrawal date, September 30, was also the date by which Baghdad had pledged to bring numerous powerful Iran-backed militias under state control. But this deadline looks certain to be missed.
This effectively means that, at a moment when Washington is engaged in a costly conflict intended to weaken Iran militarily and economically, it is simultaneously reducing its military presence in the country that has arguably provided Tehran with its greatest strategic gain of the post-Saddam era.
