AhlulBayt News Agency: US President Donald Trump warned that Washington would cut its “support” for Iraq if former prime minister Nouri al‑Maliki returned to power, marking his strongest intervention yet regarding Iraq’s next government.
Trump issued the warning on Tuesday, shortly after Iraq’s Coordination Framework—the country’s largest parliamentary bloc—nominated al‑Maliki as its candidate for prime minister. Posting on Truth Social, he said Baghdad would be making a “very bad choice” by reinstating al‑Maliki.
He claimed that during al‑Maliki’s previous tenure, Iraq “fell into poverty and chaos,” insisting that such a situation must not be repeated.
Trump added that if al‑Maliki were elected, the United States would cease assisting Iraq, asserting that without US help, Iraq would have “zero chance” of achieving success, prosperity, or freedom.
The Coordination Framework announced on Saturday that al‑Maliki had been nominated following an expanded leadership meeting to review political developments and the next steps in forming a government.
According to the Iraqi News Agency, the bloc said the decision was reached by majority vote after extensive deliberation, citing al‑Maliki’s political background, administrative experience, and prior management of state affairs.
The bloc reaffirmed its commitment to the constitutional process and expressed readiness to work with all national political groups to form a capable and effective government.
Al‑Maliki previously served as Iraq’s prime minister from 2006 to 2014 and later as vice president from 2014 to 2015 and again from 2016 to 2018. He currently leads the Islamic Dawa Party.
US pressure and sanctions warnings
Trump’s remarks came amid a broader US pressure campaign. In a letter, US representatives stated that although choosing a prime minister was Iraq’s decision, Washington would make its own “sovereign decisions” regarding the next government based on American interests.
Reuters reported that the US has warned Iraqi officials that sanctions could be imposed if certain factions were included in the next cabinet. The warning was repeatedly delivered over the past two months by US Chargé d’Affaires Joshua Harris to senior Iraqi leaders, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al‑Sudani, cleric Ammar al‑Hakim, Fatah Alliance leader Hadi al‑Amiri, and Kurdish official Masrour Barzani.
Three Iraqi officials and another source said the US cautioned that including 58 MPs targeted by Washington would result in a suspension of diplomatic engagement and a halt to dollar transfers.
Iraq’s oil revenues—making up roughly 90 percent of the national budget—are held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York under an arrangement dating back to the 2003 US‑led invasion.
While previous US administrations have sanctioned individual Iraqi banks, analysts say restricting access to oil revenues would be a major escalation. One Iraqi official told Reuters that Washington would suspend engagement with any new government that included the targeted MPs.
The US has already limited the flow of dollars to Iraqi banks, raising import costs and complicating payments for Iranian natural gas.
Al‑Maliki, now 75, remains a prominent figure in Iraqi politics and maintains ties with various factions, including groups linked to the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), which oppose foreign interference in Iraq. The PMU was formed in 2014 to fight Daesh and later became part of Iraq’s armed forces.
/129
Your Comment