…As for Iran’s bid for influence, Biden was emphatic in arguing that it had failed. He disclosed that Tehran had spent up to $100 million to back the Shiite religious parties and subvert the Iraqiya bloc, a secular Sunni-Shiite alliance headed by Ayad Allawi, the former prime minister. Bolstered by a strong Sunni turnout, Iraqiya ended up winning the largest number of seats.

“It was a real stick in the eye of the Iranians,” Biden said of Tehran’s unsuccessful campaign to steer the election outcome. What’s more, he said, Tehran’s post-election effort to pressure Iraqi leaders who visited Tehran “has turned out to backfire.” Iraqi politicians had discovered “there’s a real price to be paid . . . if it looks like you are seeking the approval or following the direction of the Iranians or any neighbor.”