Exclusive: Washington clarifies Trump’s statement regarding Maliki: A negative outcome for the Iraqi people
Exclusive: Washington clarifies Trump’s statement regarding Maliki: A negative outcome for the Iraqi people
2026-02-14
Shafaq News – Washington/ Mustafa Hashim
A U.S. State Department official revealed on Friday the U.S. administration’s firm stance on the issue of Nouri al-Maliki, leader of the State of Law Coalition, returning to the premiership in Iraq, stressing that this move would put bilateral relations between Baghdad and Washington on the table for “reassessment.”
The decisive US stance comes after President Donald Trump said earlier on Friday that he was considering the appointment of a new prime minister in Iraq, indicating that he had “some options” regarding the matter.
The American official, who preferred not to be named, told Shafaq News Agency that “President Trump was clear in his remarks: choosing Nouri al-Maliki as the next prime minister of Iraq will force the US government to reassess the relationship between the United States and Iraq.”
He added: “We will not go into details, but choosing Maliki would be a negative outcome for the Iraqi people.”
He explained that “the parameters of American policy towards Iraq in the next stage are based on fundamental points that are not open to compromise, namely ending the dominance of Iranian-backed militias over the Iraqi political scene, reducing Iranian influence within state institutions, and strengthening strong economic partnerships between Iraq, the United States, and regional partners.”
In response to a question about whether this position represents a final “red line” or is negotiable, the US official stressed that Washington is “looking for partners who share the same goals.”
It is worth noting that Trump said on January 27, 2026, in a post on the “Truth Social” platform, that the return of former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to the premiership is “something that should not be allowed,” considering that Iraq “slid into poverty and chaos” during his previous term.
For his part, Nouri al-Maliki, the head of the State of Law Coalition and the Coordination Framework’s candidate for the position of next Prime Minister, said on February 3 that Trump had been misled against his candidacy for a third term by three countries and internal parties, adding: “I heard that the tweet was written here, but I have not yet confirmed this matter.”
In a televised interview, Maliki indicated that his candidacy would not expose Iraq to economic sanctions by the United States, noting that this matter was being promoted in order to push for him to give up this candidacy.
According to the head of the State of Law Coalition, he would be prepared to give up his candidacy for prime minister, if this were done at the request of the majority of the coordinating framework.
For its part, the Coordination Framework repeatedly reiterated its support for its candidate, Nouri al-Maliki, for the premiership, stressing that the selection of the Prime Minister is a purely Iraqi constitutional matter, done away from external dictates.
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