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Iran Poised to Gain as ISIS Falls in Mosul
(Wall Street Journal) Maria Abi-Habib and Asa Fitch - As Iraq's U.S.-backed Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over Islamic State in Mosul on Monday, Iran is shaping up to be one of the biggest winners in the struggle for influence in Baghdad and across the region. Nouri al-Maliki, a former Iraqi prime minister supported by Iran, is campaigning to win back his old job in next year's Iraqi election, which could determine whether the country tilts toward Iran or the U.S. Moreover, Islamic State's losses in Mosul are expected to make it easier for Iran to ship weapons through northern Iraq and Syria to Hizbullah in Lebanon. "Today the resistance highway starts in Tehran and passes through Mosul and Beirut to the Mediterranean," Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, said last week.