US to End Support for Iraq If al-Maliki Reinstated as Prime Minister

US President Donald Trump has issued a statement expressing concerns about Nouri al-Maliki’s potential return to power in Iraq. The Coordination Framework, the largest Shia bloc in parliament, had nominated al-Maliki as its candidate for prime minister just days prior.

According to Trump, if al-Maliki were to be reinstated, the United States would reassess its support for Iraq. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that Iraq’s decision would be “a very bad choice” and warned that the country would face “total chaos” under al-Maliki’s leadership.

Trump also claimed that if al-Maliki were to become prime minister, the United States would no longer provide assistance to Iraq. The US president emphasized that this would significantly impact Iraq’s ability to achieve success, prosperity, or freedom.

US representatives have responded by stating that while the selection of the prime minister is an Iraqi decision, the US will make its own sovereign decisions regarding the next government in line with American interests.

This statement comes as part of Trump’s efforts to influence Iraq’s political landscape. The US has previously threatened senior Iraqi politicians with sanctions if armed groups backed by Iran are included in the next government.

Nouri al-Maliki is a 75-year-old senior figure in the Shia Islamist Dawa Party, who served as prime minister from 2006 to 2014. His tenure was marked by power struggles and growing tensions with the US. Al-Maliki has maintained close ties with Iran-backed factions and remains an influential political player in Iraq.

The US holds significant leverage over Iraq due to its control of the country’s oil export revenue, which is held at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York.

Source: Al Jazeera