With pro-Iran groups at helm, Iraq 'risks becoming pariah'

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The US embassy siege by pro-Iran protesters in Baghdad lasted just over a day, but analysts warn it could have lasting implications for Iraq's complex security sector and diplomatic ties. Baghdad had been struggling to keep up its precarious balancing act between its allies Tehran and Washington as tensions spiralled following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear pact with Iran. The regional rivalry was partly playing out among Iraq's security forces: the US has trained army units and elite troops, while Iran has assisted the Hashed al-Shaabi force.