KABUL: Following Nouri al-Maliki’s nomination as a candidate for the Prime Minister of Iraq, U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that Washington’s assistance to Baghdad would be halted if he regains power.
In a message posted this morning, on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump stated that if U.S. aid is cut off, Baghdad will have no chance for “success, prosperity, and freedom.”
He wrote, “Bringing Nouri al-Maliki back as Prime Minister would be a very bad decision. The last time he was in power, the country fell into poverty and complete chaos.”
Trump emphasized that the situation in Iraq should not be allowed to repeat itself with al-Maliki’s return to leadership.
The remarks come as al-Maliki has recently been proposed as a candidate for Prime Minister by the largest coalition of Shiite parties in Iraq.
It remains to be seen whether Trump’s warning will prevent al-Maliki from reclaiming this position.