Erbil, Iraq – President Trump has threatened to cut all US aid to Iraq if the country re-elects former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for a third term.
Al-Maliki was a member of Iraq’s Shiite Muslim majority Forced to resign in 2014 After two consecutive terms, the country is under pressure from both inside and outside as it faces the rise of Sunni terrorist groups. ISIS.
Here’s what to know about al-Maliki, why Mr Trump refuses to work with him and what the standoff could mean for Iraq:
What did President Trump say?
in one the message On Truth Social on January 27, President Trump called al-Maliki a “very bad choice” for Iraq, arguing that his previous leadership, between 2006 and 2014, was defined by “poverty and total chaos.”
“Because of his crazy policies and ideology, if elected, the United States of America will no longer support Iraq and, if we are not there to help, Iraq has ZERO chance of Success, Prosperity or Freedom,” Mr Trump said.
AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty 
in one statement In his post on social media on Wednesday, al-Maliki said, “We categorically reject the significant US interference in Iraq’s internal affairs, which we consider a violation of its sovereignty and a contradiction of the democratic system established in Iraq since 2003.”
Why is Trump so against Nouri al-Maliki?
Remarks by an analyst and America’s top diplomat suggest there is a single word that explains why Mr. Trump is targeting al-Maliki, even though the president left the word out of his Truth Social post: Iran.
The fierce opposition to al-Maliki appears to be part of a new effort by Washington to reduce the influence of its neighbor Iran, the region’s biggest Shiite power, in Shiite-majority Iraq. It is a legacy of the 2003 US invasion that overthrew Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein but then paved the way for Iran to assert its influence.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a January 25 phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, emphasized that “any government controlled by Iran cannot successfully put Iraq’s own interests first, keep Iraq out of regional conflicts, or advance the mutually beneficial cooperation between the United States and Iraq.”
Iraq’s main Shiite political parties, including Al-Maliki, are seen by the US as aligned with, if not subordinate to, Iran. During his time in power, al-Maliki was seen to be particularly close to Iran and also accused of being too sectarianTargeting members of Iraq’s Sunni minority with its policies.
Ayad Al-Anber, a professor of political science at the University of Baghdad, told CBS News on Thursday that Mr. Trump’s harsh rhetoric caught him by surprise, but the motivation behind it was clear: The United States is determined not to let Iraq fall under an Iranian-influenced government.
However, he said it is still unclear how much pressure the Trump administration would apply, be it diplomatic, economic or military, to achieve this goal.
Can Nouri al-Maliki be re-elected in Iraq?
The Shiite Coordination Framework, the largest bloc in Iraq’s parliament, has just reached a majority agreement to nominate al-Maliki for a third term.
The former prime minister has remained an influential figure in Iraqi politics since leaving office in 2014, thanks to his skills as a politician and crisis manager.
That said, there are no political polls in Iraq to help measure his popularity nationally, not even among Shiite voters.
What is the stake in Iraq?
Mr. Trump has left Baghdad with a serious dilemma. For the sake of domestic tranquility, any government must maintain an incredibly delicate balance, keeping the country’s Shia majority and its large Sunni and Kurdish minorities happy.
According to the US government, Iraq received $31 million Washington on direct foreign aid in 2025. That figure does not include the cost of the significant US military deployment in the country, aimed at keeping the persistent threat of ISIS under control.
Of that US funding, about $20 million went to security-related costs, and nearly $9 million went to help cover government and civil society operating costs.
Another essential element of US aid is less direct, but Washington also gives it a lot of leverage: All of the Iraqi government’s oil revenue is processed through the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and if the Trump administration believes Baghdad is doing Iran’s bidding, there is concern in Iraq that funds could be cut.