Overview
- Iraq’s Coordination Framework has nominated Nouri al‑Maliki for prime minister, but a planned parliamentary session to elect a president was canceled for lack of quorum, freezing the formation process.
- President Donald Trump warned on Truth Social that the United States would end support for Iraq if Maliki returns to power, characterizing the choice as a step toward chaos.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio conveyed that a government seen as controlled by Iran would undermine U.S.-Iraq cooperation and Iraq’s ability to stay out of regional conflicts.
- Maliki rejected what he called blatant U.S. interference, framed it as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, and said he will press ahead under the Coordination Framework’s mandate.
- Analysts caution that public U.S. pressure could prove counterproductive, even as reporting highlights Washington’s financial leverage through Iraqi oil proceeds processed at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.