Maliki says to continue prime minister bid, rejects Trump’s threats

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Prominent Iraqi politician Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday said he will not give up his bid for the prime minister position, accusing the United States of violating the country’s democracy and sovereignty after US President Donald Trump warned he will end Washington’s support for Iraq if Maliki is elected as prime minister. 

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, Trump warned that the “United States of America will no longer help Iraq” if Maliki returns to office for a third term.  

In a post on X, Maliki indicated he will continue to run for the premiership - Iraq’s most powerful post - and warned the US not to issue “dictates and threats.”

“We categorically reject the blatant American interference in Iraq’s internal affairs,” Maliki said, calling the demands “a violation of [Iraqi] sovereignty and a contravention of the democratic order in Iraq since 2003,” when the US overthrew Saddam Hussein’s regime.

If approved by the legislature, this would mark Maliki’s third term as prime minister. He previously served from 2006 to 2014, stepping down over alleged corruption allegations and security gaps linked to the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS.)

The Coordination Framework, a powerful Shiite bloc, announced Maliki’s candidacy on Saturday after Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani withdrew his re-election bid. Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition won 46 seats in Iraq’s November parliamentary elections vs. 29 seats for Maliki’s State of Law coalition. 

Maliki called the US stance “an overreach on the Coordination Framework’s decision to select its candidate for the prime minister’s position.”

US simultaneously mounting pressure on Iran

Following Trump’s warning against Maliki’s candidacy, senior US officials and lawmakers demanded an end to Iranian influence in Iraq and renewed calls for sweeping political, security, and anti-corruption reforms. Iran is closely allied with Iraq’s Shiite parties and wields enormous influence in the country. 

Trump this week has ratched up pressure on Iran, where violent crackdowns on protesters have killed at least 6,100 people with another 17,100 deaths under investigation, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA.) The government’s telecommunications blackouts and a lack of transparency have made figures difficult to verify. 

On a Truth Social post Wednesday, Trump warned Iran that "time is running out" to negotiate a nuclear weapons deal and said a massive fleet of destroyers was “prepared to rapidly fulfill its missions with speed and violence if necessary.” 

Iran’s mission to the United Nations replied directly to Trump’s post on X with a pinned post, saying: “Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests - BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!”