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Iran is not hiding their attempts to influcence Iraq. The realities are, however, that Iran wants a friend. They realize that if Iraq stays a democracy they will still, at least in part, befriend Iran. The Shia majority will show itself as tying closer to Iran than any other of the neighbors.
This is not an entirely bad thing. Iran is opening up, there are various modernization movements that continue to grow while the old theocracy supporters grow old and die. The ties between Iran and Iraq will surely inflame the Sunnis, however the Kurds have a long history of being funded and aided by Iran. If you look at Iraq, they have no neighbors who you'd perticularly want them talking to. Saudi Arabia is hands down the worst country of the bunch, ruled by Wahabbist ultra-conservatives. Syria is ruled by the Ba'ath party, which was the old Saddam regeim. Turkey is a pseudo-modernist country with a history of wholesale slaughter of Kurds.
Hopefully, after all the tourmoil, Iraq will become a stable democracy. More than likely, if successful, this will cross the borders and strengthen Iranian modernization movements.
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"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas
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