The US warned Iraq against forming a pro-Iran government
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iraq on Sunday against forming a pro-Iran government, after the expected return of Nouri al Maliki to the post of prime minister raised concerns in Washington.
Maliki, who left power in 2014 under pressure from the United States, was nominated by parliament’s largest Shiite parliamentary bloc to be prime minister.
In a phone call with current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani, Rubio expressed hope that the next government will work to make Iraq a force for stability, prosperity and security in the Middle East.
“Secretary Rubio stressed that an Iranian-controlled government cannot succeed in putting Iraq’s interests first, keeping Iraq out of regional conflicts, or strengthening the mutually beneficial partnership between the United States and Iraq,” State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott said.
The presence of a pro-Iranian government in Iraq is a win for Tehran, which has recently suffered major setbacks at home and in the region.
Inside, thousands of Iranians have been killed by security forces, according to rights groups, since protests erupted in late December, the strongest in Iran.
The United States was having a negative view of previous governments led by former Prime Minister Maliki, as in a letter, US lawmakers said that while the choice of the prime minister is Iraqi, “the United States will make its own sovereign decisions about the next government in line with US interests”.
The United States wields considerable influence over Iraq, especially since the proceeds of the country’s oil exports are deposited in the Federal Reserve in New York under an arrangement reached after the 2003 US invasion.
One of the most prominent demands of the United States is that Iraq prevent the resurgence of Iranian-backed Shiite militias.
The Iraqi current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani, who took office in 2022, has earned the trust of the United States thanks to his efforts to curb the violence of these groups.
Maliki first became prime minister in 2006 with US support and has been a strong supporter of US military efforts against al Qaeda in Iraq and other Sunni militant groups.
But the United States eventually turned on Maliki because it believed that his overly sectarian agenda had helped the rise of the Islamic State extremist group.
Iraq’s parliament is holding a session to elect a president on Tuesday, a largely ceremonial position, but within 15 days of his election, the president must appoint a prime minister, most likely Maliki.
