Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki issued a scathing rejection of what he termed “blatant American interference” in Iraq’s internal affairs. The defiance follows a Truth Social post by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, in which he warned that the United States would “no longer help Iraq” if al-Maliki were reinstated as premier. Trump characterized al-Maliki’s previous 2006–2014 tenure as a period of “poverty and total chaos,” declaring that without U.S. support, Iraq would have “zero chance” of success.
#BREAKING: Nouri al-Maliki, the Shiite Coordination Framework’s candidate for Iraqi prime minister, firmly rejects US President Donald Trump’s warning against his nomination, calling it blatant US interference in Iraq’s internal affairs and a violation of the country’s… pic.twitter.com/UAmkfcu5xG
— Zoom News (@zoomnewskrd) January 28, 2026
Al-Maliki, 75, was nominated on Saturday by the Coordination Framework, the largest Shia bloc in parliament, following the withdrawal of caretaker PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. In his response, al-Maliki asserted that the selection of a Prime Minister is a “purely sovereign decision” and accused Washington of violating the democratic system established in 2023. He confirmed he would not withdraw his candidacy, stating he intends to work “until the end” to serve the national interest.
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The escalation comes at a precarious moment for Baghdad, which relies on the U.S. Federal Reserve to hold its oil revenues. While U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has echoed Trump’s concerns regarding Iranian influence, pro-Iran factions like Asaib Ahl al-Haq have slammed the U.S. stance as “political assassination.” As the Iraqi parliament prepares for a crucial vote to elect a new president, the standoff highlights the intensifying struggle for influence between Washington and Tehran over the future of the Iraqi state.
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