Iraqi Figures Warn of U.S. Interference in Government Formation
Several Iraqi political figures and analysts have raised concerns over what they describe as U.S. interference in the country’s internal political affairs, particularly the formation of the next government.
Abdulrahman al-Jazairi, head of Iraq’s National Tribal Movement, said Donald Trump’s envoy, Mark Sawaya, delivered a message from the United States outlining 13 conditions for engagement with Iraq’s future government. According to al-Jazairi, the U.S. aims to secure its interests in Iraq through this initiative.
Ibrahim al-Saraj, an Iraqi political analyst, stated that such U.S. interference is not new but has amplified concerns amid ongoing talks to appoint the next prime minister. “Although the United States is attempting to play a direct role, the final decision on choosing the prime minister remains in the hands of the parliamentary majority,” he said.
These warnings come as Iraq continues to be a strategic country in the Middle East—a region where the U.S. has wielded significant political and military influence over the past two decades. The current situation could have broad regional and international ramifications.
Analysts in Afghanistan, a country with its own history of foreign interference, have drawn parallels but note that under Taliban rule, the lack of an elected and accountable government has left the handling of such interventions shrouded in uncertainty.
