Overview
- Ali al-Zaidi concluded a recent U.S. trip that included a White House meeting with President Donald Trump and the signing of trade and investment agreements with American firms.
- He travelled to Tehran this week to pursue bilateral deals on energy, water and transport and to offer Iraq as a potential host or mediator for U.S.-Iran talks.
- Zaidi has made militia disarmament central to foreign cooperation and tied a September 30 deadline for putting Iran-aligned armed groups under state control to the planned withdrawal of about 2,000 U.S. troops.
- Powerful Iran-backed militias remain major holdouts and are embedded in state payrolls and patronage networks, so enforcement risks violent pushback, political destabilization or failure to meet U.S. conditions for financial and diplomatic support.
- Baghdad is using competing offers from the U.S., China and Gulf states to attract investment and leverage, but chronic corruption, fragmented institutions and disputes over water and resources mean foreign deals may not translate quickly into better public services or lasting security.