Overview
- U.S. officials conveyed that dollar transfers from Iraq’s oil revenues could be halted if parties tied to Iran secure cabinet posts in the next government, according to multiple sources.
- Chargé d’Affaires Joshua Harris delivered the warning repeatedly over the past two months in talks with Iraqi leaders and via intermediaries to some militia-aligned figures.
- The message focused on 58 lawmakers Washington views as linked to Iran, with a stated intent to suspend engagement with any cabinet that includes them.
- Washington objected to Adnan Faihan of Asaib Ahl al-Haq serving as first deputy speaker, and sources say the group signaled willingness to remove him, yet he remains in the post.
- The U.S. has not executed the threat, the State Department reaffirmed opposition to Iran-backed militias, and Iraq’s cabinet formation remains unresolved with oil dollars comprising the bulk of Baghdad’s budget.