Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s nomination for a new term has sparked fresh political controversy, drawing a rare and direct intervention from U.S. President Donald Trump. In a sharp warning, Trump said the United States would withdraw support from Iraq if Maliki were to return to power, accusing him of presiding over chaos, sectarian division and policies that helped pave the way for the rise of Islamic State during his previous tenure.
Trump’s comments, posted publicly, represent the strongest sign yet of his administration’s determination to curb the influence of Iran-backed figures in Iraq. He argued that Maliki’s earlier leadership plunged the country into instability and warned that a repeat “should not be allowed to happen again.” Iraq, a major oil producer, has long tried to balance its strategic relationship with Washington while maintaining deep political and economic ties with Tehran.
Maliki, however, swiftly rejected the U.S. president’s remarks, calling them blatant interference in Iraq’s internal affairs and a violation of national sovereignty. In a statement posted on X, he said relations between states should be governed by dialogue rather than threats, signalling that he would not bow to external pressure as political negotiations continue in Baghdad.
-The controversy erupted after Iraq’s main Shi’ite political alliance, which holds a parliamentary majority, selected Maliki as its nominee for prime minister following recent elections. The move surprised many Iraqis, particularly Sunnis and Kurds, who continue to blame Maliki’s sectarian policies between 2006 and 2014 for marginalising large segments of the population and driving some communities into the arms of extremist groups when Islamic State seized vast areas of the country in 2014.
Despite being forced to step down that year under pressure from the United States, Iran, Sunni leaders and Iraq’s top Shi’ite cleric, Maliki never disappeared from the political scene. He rebuilt his influence through the State of Law coalition and maintained close ties with powerful Iran-aligned factions, the security services and the judiciary, positioning himself for a potential comeback.
As Iraq once again finds itself at a political crossroads, Maliki’s nomination has reopened old wounds about sectarianism, governance and foreign influence. Whether his return can gain broad acceptance — or whether Trump’s warning will reshape the final outcome remains a key question as the country navigates another delicate chapter in its post-2003 political history.
