Washington (Monitoring Desk): US President Donald Trump has warned that if former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki returns to power, the United States will halt further support for Iraq. This statement comes as the Shia political alliance, Coordination Framework, announced its backing of al-Maliki’s nomination.
Trump said on social media that during al-Maliki’s previous tenure, Iraq suffered from poverty and severe insecurity, and such conditions should not happen again. He emphasized that if al-Maliki is re-elected, US assistance to Iraq will stop, and without American support, Iraq cannot achieve development, prosperity, or freedom.
US officials consider al-Maliki to be close to Iran, a concern that has long persisted in Washington. Trump’s warning comes at a time of high tension between the US and Iran and growing worries about Iranian influence in Iraq.
Al-Maliki served as Iraq’s Prime Minister from 2006 to 2014, making him the only Iraqi leader to complete two full terms since Saddam Hussein’s fall in 2003. However, he has faced accusations of consolidating power, neglecting Sunni and Kurdish populations, and aligning with Iran. After the rise of ISIS in 2014, the US lost confidence in his leadership.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed concern over the possibility of an Iran-aligned government in Iraq, noting that Washington believes such a government cannot protect Iraq’s national interests.
