Iraq is in the midst of its worst and longest political crisis in years. At the center of this overheating conflict stands Iraqi political kingmaker Moqtada al-Sadr and a rival bloc of parties with strong ties to neighboring Iran.
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In a show of strength, supporters of Shiite cleric Sadr last week twice stormed Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone -- which houses government buildings and Western embassies -- and on Sunday staged a long sit-in inside parliament. While Sadr's supporters are rallying against the nomination of a new prime minister, these protests also represent a deep political rift festering between Iraq's rival Shiite blocs and the influential hand that analysts say Iran is playing from afar.
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