U.S. President Donald Trump issued a direct warning to Iraq on Tuesday over the nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, threatening to withdraw American support if Baghdad reinstates him.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “I'm hearing that the Great Country of Iraq might make a very bad choice by reinstalling Nouri al-Maliki as Prime Minister. Last time Maliki was in power, the Country descended into poverty and total chaos. That should not be allowed to happen again.” Trump went on to warn that if al-Maliki returns to office, “the United States will no longer help Iraq,” adding that without U.S. support Iraq would have “ZERO chance of Success, Prosperity, or Freedom.”
The post was widely interpreted as an explicit threat of political, economic, and possibly military consequences should al-Maliki’s nomination move forward.
Al-Maliki was nominated over the weekend by the Shiite Coordination Framework, the dominant political alliance in Iraq’s parliament, which secured a majority in last year’s elections. The move was further reinforced when Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani reportedly congratulated al-Maliki by phone, signaling Kurdish acceptance of the nomination.
However, procedural hurdles remain. Iraq must first elect a new president, who under the constitution must be Kurdish, before formally appointing a prime minister-designate. On Tuesday, the presidential vote was postponed amid disputes among Kurdish parliamentary factions over a unified candidate, temporarily delaying al-Maliki’s path back to office.
Al-Maliki previously served as prime minister from 2006 to 2014, a tenure marked by widespread corruption allegations, sectarian polarization, and deteriorating relations with Sunni and Kurdish communities. His government ultimately collapsed following ISIS’s 2014 offensive, which saw much of the Iraqi army disintegrate and large portions of the country fall under militant control.
Trump’s opposition to al-Maliki may also stem from the former prime minister’s close ties to Iran. Al-Maliki is a senior figure in the Islamic Dawa Party and lived in exile in Iran from 1979 until the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. His perceived alignment with Tehran has long been a point of friction with Washington.
Tensions have further escalated in recent days as Iran-aligned factions within Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, including Kata'ib Hezbollah, declared their readiness to support Iran should the U.S. or Israel launch an attack. The PMF’s continued existence and Washington’s demands that the groups disarm or integrate into the Iraqi state have been a persistent source of strain between Baghdad and the Trump administration.
It remains unclear what concrete measures Trump could take if al-Maliki is confirmed. Under a withdrawal agreement signed during the Biden administration, U.S. forces have already exited all bases in Iraq outside of Kurdistan, with a full withdrawal scheduled for September. Some analysts speculate Trump could seek to halt the withdrawal, retain forces in Kurdistan, or even reassert control over bases recently handed back to Iraqi forces.