In the long and tangled story of Iraq's sovereignty, Baghdad moved this week to assert a measure of control it has never fully possessed — dismissing a military commander in the wake of drone strikes against Saudi Arabia. The action reflects a government caught between the gravitational pull of Iran-aligned factions within its own borders and the diplomatic necessity of maintaining peace with its Gulf neighbors. Whether this gesture marks a genuine turning point or a performance of authority for international audiences remains the defining question of Iraq's fractured political condition.