Some US "intelligence" and policy makers think they're so smart and that they are undermining Iran's influence in Iraq by making sure that Iraq does not adopt an Iranian-style government. However, the reality is that it is in IRI's interest that Iraq does not adopt a "vellayat e faghih" style of government and in fact Iran is doing all that it can to make sure that the Shiites get hold of the power in Iraq but do not adopt Iranian-style government.
The reason is that if Iraq were to become like Iran and some one like Ayatollah Sistani would become "vali e faghih" in Iraq then what you would have in the Shiite world would be "velaayat e foghaha" as opposed to "velaayat e faghih" (which means a compatitor and threat to Iran's Khamenei or Iran's next "vali e faghih").
Indeed what IRI prefers is a democratic government in Iraq that is dominated by Shiites who in turn take their cues from Iraqi "foghaha" who in turn take their cue from a single "vali e faghih" in Iran. That is the style of government that Iran has supported and helped implement in Lebanon. And that is the style of government that Iran is pushing for in Afghanistan and Iraq. What IRI wants in those countries is strong political leverage that who would help push for Iran's interests, not compatitors who would consider themselves the center of Islamic/Shiite world.
One can not successfully have an Islamic/Shiite empire by having an independent emperor/Amir/vali e faghih in different territories. Rather, the key to having an efficient empire is to have ONLY one emperor/Amir/Vali and then governors/proxies/allies who have enough power/influence to govern their own teritories but not enough power/influence to control the entire empire.
The reason is that if Iraq were to become like Iran and some one like Ayatollah Sistani would become "vali e faghih" in Iraq then what you would have in the Shiite world would be "velaayat e foghaha" as opposed to "velaayat e faghih" (which means a compatitor and threat to Iran's Khamenei or Iran's next "vali e faghih").
Indeed what IRI prefers is a democratic government in Iraq that is dominated by Shiites who in turn take their cues from Iraqi "foghaha" who in turn take their cue from a single "vali e faghih" in Iran. That is the style of government that Iran has supported and helped implement in Lebanon. And that is the style of government that Iran is pushing for in Afghanistan and Iraq. What IRI wants in those countries is strong political leverage that who would help push for Iran's interests, not compatitors who would consider themselves the center of Islamic/Shiite world.
One can not successfully have an Islamic/Shiite empire by having an independent emperor/Amir/vali e faghih in different territories. Rather, the key to having an efficient empire is to have ONLY one emperor/Amir/Vali and then governors/proxies/allies who have enough power/influence to govern their own teritories but not enough power/influence to control the entire empire.