President Donald Trump on Thursday spoke by phone with Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi to congratulate him on his nomination, following his earlier opposition to former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s bid for the post.
What happened: Trump said on Truth Social that he wishes Zaidi success as he works to “form a new Government free from terrorism that could deliver a brighter future for Iraq.”
“We look forward to a strong, vibrant, and highly productive new relationship between Iraq and the United States. This is the beginning of a tremendous new chapter between our Nations,” said Trump.
Zaidi said on X that Trump invited him to Washington upon the formation of a government and that they discussed bilateral ties on the call.
I received a phone call from the President of the United States, Mr. Donald Trump, who extended his congratulations on the occasion of my official designation to form the new government. President Trump also extended a formal invitation to visit Washington following the formation…
— علي فالح الزيدي (@AliFalihAlzaidy) April 30, 2026
Earlier, Zaidi said he had discussed bilateral relations with US Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack.
Zaidi was nominated as prime minister by the Coordination Framework, an alliance of Shiite-led parties in Iraq, on Monday. The framework, whose key members include incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and the influential Maliki, is the largest bloc in parliament, controlling about 185 out of 329 seats in the legislature.
In Iraq’s system, the president taps the nominee of the largest post-election bloc to form a government, and that government must then be approved by two-thirds of lawmakers before it can take office. President Nizar Amede formally tapped Zaidi to form a government on Monday.
Why it matters: The Coordination Framework nominated Maliki in January, following the election the previous November, but he faced fierce opposition from Trump, as well as from some Shiite and Sunni politicians. Trump referred to Maliki’s policies as “insane” in January and threatened to withdraw support for Iraq should he return to office. Maliki originally pledged to stay on as nominee, but the framework ultimately nominated Zaidi after considering a number of other candidates.
Zaidi, a prominent businessman, enjoys friendly relations with a number of actors across the Iraqi spectrum and held meetings with both Maliki and Sudani earlier this week. Zaidi also had a telephone call with Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani after being nominated, and Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi, a member of the Sunni-led Progress party, said he welcomed the nomination.
Zaidi is the owner of the Taawon Hypermarket shopping centers in Baghdad, the Al-Awees holding company, the local news outlet Dijlah TV and the Al-Janoob Islamic Bank.
The Iraqi Central Bank restricted Al-Janoob Islamic Bank and seven other institutions from US dollar transactions in 2024 as part of a crackdown on money laundering and illicit use of American currency. The move came amid US pressure on Iraq to prevent the smuggling of dollars from Iraq to Iran, Reuters reported at the time.
Legal sources familiar with the matter told Al-Monitor on Tuesday that neither Zaidi nor the Al-Janoob Islamic Bank are sanctioned by the United States.
Know more: Iraq has long sought to maintain friendly ties with both the United States and neighboring Iran, a goal which has become increasingly difficult amid the US-Israel-Iran war. Iran-backed militias in Iraq have launched hundreds of strikes targeting US forces in the country since the war began, as well as Gulf states, prompting American strikes on the armed groups.
The United States and Iraq have significant security and economic ties, with bilateral trade topping $9 billion in 2024. The top Iraqi export to the United States was crude petroleum that year, while the top American export to Iraq was cars, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity.
The United States has around 2,000 troops in Iraq as part of the global coalition to fight the Islamic State. A 2024 deal between the two countries called for most US troops to leave Iraq by September.
The Trump administration has been increasing pressure on Iraq to rein in the influential Iran-backed militias, a number of which are part of the semi-official Popular Mobilization Units. The US government’s Reward for Justice program announced earlier this month that it would pay up to $10 million for information on Haydar al-Gharawi and Abu Alaa al-Walai, two prominent militia leaders.
Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration suspended close to $500 million in US dollar shipments to Iraq in an attempt to compel Baghdad to dismantle Iran-backed armed groups.
The United States has previously told Iraqi officials that it does not want any designated entities in the next Iraqi government. The list of Iraqi organizations designated as terrorists by Washington includes Asaib Ahl al-Haq, which has a political wing known as the Sadiqoun bloc that is part of the Coordination Framework. Zaidi met with Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali on Wednesday to discuss developments in the country.