BAGHDAD — The showdown between Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr and the Iraqi government came to a halt this weekend after Mr. Sadr agreed to a truce brokered by Iran, a sign of Tehran’s growing influence in Iraqi politics. In the past five years, as Shiite political parties have dominated the Iraqi government, Iran’s scope of influence has widened. This puts the Iraqi government at a precarious position between two important friends, the U.S. and Iran.
