Iraq Shia bloc reiterates support for al-Maliki despite Trump’s threats

Iraq's Shia-led Coalition Reiterates Support for al-Maliki Amid Trump's Threats

The Coordination Framework, Iraq's main Shia alliance and a parliamentary majority holder, has reaffirmed its backing for Nouri al-Maliki to become the country's next prime minister, despite US President Donald Trump warning that any such move would lead to Washington withdrawing its support.

In response to Trump's comments, the framework stated on Saturday that choosing the prime minister was an "exclusively Iraqi constitutional matter" and should not be influenced by foreign powers. This stance comes at a time when Trump has been actively working to limit the influence of Iran-linked groups in Iraq, which is often locked between its two closest allies: Washington and Tehran.

Al-Maliki, 75, is a prominent figure within the Shia Islamic Dawa Party and served as prime minister from 2006 to 2014. His tenure was marked by power struggles with Sunni and Kurdish rival factions, accusations of corruption, and strained ties with the US. Notably, he stepped down following ISIL (ISIS) seized significant portions of Iraq in 2014 but has since remained an influential political figure.

In a recent statement on X, al-Maliki condemned Trump's "blatant American interference" in Iraq's internal affairs, asserting that his candidacy for prime minister would not be withdrawn. The US holds considerable influence over Iraq due to its control of the country's oil export revenue, largely held at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York.

The situation highlights the growing tensions between Washington and Baghdad as Trump attempts to curb Iran's influence in the region. With Iraq's parliamentary elections looming, the outcome is expected to have significant implications for US interests in the Middle East.

man this whole thing is so messy the us is basically trying to dictate who should be iraq's prime minister and it's just not cool al-maliki has a lot of baggage but at least he knows what he wants, unlike trump who seems to change his mind every 5 mins the fact that the us is threatening to pull its support if al-maliki wins is just a power play, plain and simple and honestly, it's kinda rich coming from the same people who were all like "let iraq decide its own fate" in 2003 but now they're trying to exert control over everything again

just think about it... if trump wants to pull out of iraq, doesn't that just create more problems? like, who's gonna fill the shoes of maliki? and what about all the corruption allegations against him? seems like a lose-lose situation to me.

[Image of a cat with a "I'm not a politician" t-shirt, sitting on a throne]() Trump thinks he can just dictate who should be prime minister? Please . Al-Maliki's got this and the Coordination Framework is sticking to their guns . Washington might try to pull some strings, but Iraqis know what's best for themselves . Bring on those parliamentary elections !

omg this is getting intense i mean who does trump think he is trying to impose his will on iraq and just because they're not exactly best buds doesn't mean they need a nudge it's like, hello constitutionality matters first, usa not some kinda interventionist power trip

and what's with all these claims of 'iran-linked groups' in iraq anyway? can we have a more nuanced conversation about this stuff instead of just painting everyone with the same brush

I'm getting really anxious about this Iraq situation ... I mean, I get why the US is trying to limit Iran's influence, but at what cost? Trump's comments about withdrawing support from al-Maliki are just so aggressive ... like, doesn't he understand how politics works?

I remember when my uncle was in Iraq back in 2008 and told me about the sectarian tensions that were brewing. He said it was like a powder keg, waiting to be ignited. I wish they could've handled things better then ... and now, with all these external players trying to influence the outcome, it's just gonna get messier .

It's sad because al-Maliki seems like a polarizing figure, but at least he knows what works for Iraq . We should be supporting him, not undermining his chances ... I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this whole situation unfolds

omg u guys i cant even believe what's going on in iraq rn like trump is literally trying to meddle in their politics and al-maliki is like "nope im good" meanwhile Iraq's parliament is all like "hey we gotta choose our next pm regardless of who's backing us" i feel like the US is getting a bit too involved in these middle eastern politics lol what's next? them making demands for iran to back down on their own stuff? it just seems so predictable

I mean, it seems like the US government is getting more and more involved in Iraq's internal politics . First of all, I think it's kinda weird that they're trying to influence who becomes prime minister – shouldn't that be up to the Iraqi people? It just feels like they're trying to control the situation a bit too much.

And Trump making these threats? Like, what does he even want from Iraq again? The fact that Iran-linked groups are already causing tension in the country doesn't help matters. I'm not sure why the US can't just focus on supporting Iraq's stability and security instead of trying to undermine certain factions?

I also wonder if al-Maliki is being used as some kind of pawn in this whole situation . He has a pretty shaky history, but that doesn't mean he's not a legitimate candidate for prime minister. The problem is, the US seems to be more interested in his past than his qualifications or policies.

It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out with Iraq's parliamentary elections coming up . One thing's for sure – it's gonna be a wild ride !

just had this news come across my feed and i gotta say, trump's trying to pull a pretty shady move here... i mean, who does he think he is? thinking he can just waltz into iraq and start pulling strings like that? the shia coalition's having none of it tho, saying this whole thing is 'exclusively iraqi'... fair enough imo. cant let some foreign dude come in here and try to dictate who should be prime minister. not to mention trump's just trying to undermine iran's influence too... looks like us vs them games are heating up again what a mess.

I think its kinda worrying when foreign leaders start putting pressure on local politicians ... like, Trump's trying to sway the Iraqi vote by saying he'll pull funding if Maliki gets the job, but isn't that kinda undermining Iraq's sovereignty? At the end of the day, it's up to the Iraqis to decide who should lead their country, not Washington or Tehran ... hopefully they can make an informed decision without too much interference

I think its crazy how much drama Trump is trying to stir up in Iraq right now . Like, come on man, let the Iraqi people decide who they want as their next leader? Its not like we're talking about some dictatorship here... or is it ? Al-Maliki's got some baggage, I get it, but thats all anyone ever remembers these days - corruption and power struggles. What about his actual achievements during his time as PM? Its funny how the US only cares about Iraq when it suits their interests...

man I remember when Bush was president and we had that whole mess with Iraq... it feels like we're back there again . Trump's all over al-Maliki's case and it's just gonna lead to more drama. didn't we learn from the last time? those oil revenues are a big deal, gotta keep it on the table, ya know?

anyway, this whole thing is like a bad remake of '03-05... you know when that stuff was supposed to happen and now it's just all wrong timing . i wish they'd just focus on finding common ground instead of playing with fire . the framework's right tho, let the Iraqis sort themselves out for once .

Trump's gonna be a real blessing for Iraq, lol I mean who needs foreign powers when you've got a dude with a bad haircut and a worse track record, right? The fact that Trump is trying to exert his influence over the Iraqi government is just the cherry on top of this whole mess. It's like he thinks Iraq is still part of America or something Newsflash, Donald: we're a sovereign nation with our own problems and concerns. Maybe focus on your own country instead of trying to fix ours?