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New Delhi: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that the United States will “no longer help” Iraq if Nouri al-Maliki becomes its next prime minister. Opposing a third term for Maliki, who is eyeing a political comeback more than a decade after resigning under pressure in 2014 following the Islamic State’s blitz through Iraq, Trump made his intentions clear and threatened cutting off aid to the country if his wishes were not heeded.
“I’m hearing that the Great Country of Iraq might make a very bad choice by reinstalling Nouri al-Maliki as Prime Minister,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Tuesday. “Last time Maliki was in power, the Country descended into poverty and total chaos. That should not be allowed to happen again.” “Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq,” he further added. “If we are not there to help, Iraq has ZERO chance of Success, Prosperity, or Freedom. MAKE IRAQ GREAT AGAIN!"
Trump’s comments come after Iraq’s largest Shiite political bloc, the Coordination Framework, nominated Maliki as its candidate for prime minister following difficulties in forming a new government after the November 2025 parliamentary elections.
Trump’s warning follows those of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who spoke with outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Sunday, during which he warned against installing “a government controlled by Iran.”
Earlier Tuesday, US special envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya wrote on X that the administration was prepared to sanction senior Iraqi officials involved in government corruption. “While our team works on the ground in Iraq to support the formation of a new government and to prevent Iranian backed militias from rising to positions of power, it is equally and even more critical to prepare for confronting the corruption crisis in Iraq,” Savaya wrote.
Maliki is a highly divisive figure in Iraqi politics. He first served as prime minister from 2006 to 2014, rising to prominence in the post-Saddam era as a leader within the Shiite Islamic Dawa Party.
Trump’s threat reflects broader US concerns about Iranian influence in Iraq, which has grown considerably in recent years. The Coordination Framework includes parties and militia leaders with connections to Iran, and Maliki himself has maintained close relationships with Tehran-aligned factions. The US fears Maliki would deepen Baghdad’s reliance on Iran, diminishing US strategic interests in the region. Trump’s threat to “no longer help” Iraq may thus well result in both political and economic pressures on Iraq.
