'US Will No Longer Help Iraq If...': Trump Warns Against al-Maliki's Return As Prime Minister

Last Updated:January 28, 2026, 07:05 IST

Donald Trump warned Iraq that the US would withdraw support if Nouri al-Maliki returns to power, calling his past tenure disastrous and threatening an end to American assistance.

File photos of Donald Trump/Nouri al-Maliki (AP)

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued a stark warning to Iraq over the possible return of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, saying the United States would withdraw its support if Baghdad reinstates the longtime Shiite political leader.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, 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."

He went on to threaten a sharp break in US policy if al-Maliki regains office.

“Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq," Trump said, adding that without American backing, the country would have “zero chance of Success, Prosperity, or Freedom."

He concluded the post with the slogan, “MAKE IRAQ GREAT AGAIN!"

Trump’s comments came days after Iraq’s dominant Shiite political alliance, known as the Coordination Framework, announced it was backing al-Maliki’s nomination for prime minister.

The move followed caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s decision to step aside earlier this month after he failed to form a government despite his bloc winning the largest share of seats in November’s parliamentary elections.

According to Reuters, Trump’s warning represents the most forceful example yet of his campaign to curb the influence of Iran-linked factions inside Iraq, a country that has long balanced relations between Washington and Tehran.

The news agency reported that US officials have also threatened senior Iraqi politicians with sanctions if Iran-backed armed groups are included in the next government.

Al-Maliki, a senior figure in the Shiite Islamist Dawa Party, served as Iraq’s prime minister from 2006 to 2014.

His tenure coincided with intense sectarian violence, political struggles with Sunni and Kurdish rivals, and growing strains with Washington.

He stepped down after the Islamic State group seized large parts of the country in 2014, but has remained a powerful political player, leading the State of Law coalition and maintaining close ties with Iran-aligned factions.

The Associated Press reported that Trump’s intervention comes at a particularly tense moment in the region, as he weighs possible military action against Iran in response to its deadly crackdown on protests against the Islamic government.

Trump has said he was holding off on strikes after claiming Tehran had paused executions of detainees, a claim Iran has denied, but US military movements in the Middle East have fueled renewed speculation about potential escalation.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently raised Washington’s concerns in a call with al-Sudani, warning about the risks of a pro-Iran government in Baghdad.

“The Secretary emphasised that a government controlled by Iran cannot successfully put Iraq’s own interests first, keep Iraq out of regional conflicts, or advance the mutually beneficial partnership between the United States and Iraq," State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

Middle East analyst Hussain Abdul-Hussain told AP that Trump’s public opposition would be difficult for al-Maliki to overcome, but cautioned against writing him off.

“But this is Iraq, so never say never," he said.

“And this was a guy whose political life was supposed to have expired many, many years ago, and yet Maliki is still here."

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