An embassy cable from Baghdad, dated November 13, 2009, was part of the classified State Department documents exposed by WikiLeaks. It read: ” ‘Iraq, given its proximity to Iran and its shared Shia heritage, represents a vital foreign policy priority for the Iranian government’s (IRIG) efforts to project its ideology and influence in the region. An economically dependent and politically subservient Iraq would foster greater strategic depth for Tehran. Iranian president [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad has referred to Iraq in recent press statements as *a Shia base* confronting the broader menace perpetrated by those opposed to Iraq’s identity and stability (i.e., Sunni states, the West).’ ”
– “US Embassy Cables: Iran Attempts to Manipulate Iraq Elections,” The Guardian (courtesy Wikileaks), Dec. 4, 2010