The Coordination Framework stated that the selection of the prime minister is a domestic constitutional matter and should be carried out without foreign interference.
Published January 31, 2026
Iraq’s main Shiite coalition, which holds a majority in parliament, reiterated its support for Nouri al-Maliki’s return as prime minister, despite US President Donald Trump’s threat to cut US aid to the country.
“We reiterate our support for prime ministerial candidate Nouri Kamel al-Maliki,” the Coordination Framework said in a statement on Saturday.
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“Choosing a prime minister is an exclusively constitutional matter in Iraq and is not subject to foreign interference.”
Earlier this week, President Trump warned Iraq that the U.S. government would withdraw its support if al-Maliki was chosen as Iraq’s next prime minister, the latest in a growing list of interference in other countries’ politics by Trump and members of his administration.
Al-Maliki rejected Trump’s threats in a post on X on Wednesday, condemning “blatant US interference in Iraq’s internal affairs” and insisting he would not withdraw his candidacy for president.
President Trump has waged a campaign to curb the influence of Iranian-linked groups in Iraq, which has long walked a tightrope between its two closest allies, the United States and Iran.
Mr. al-Maliki, 75, is a senior member of the Shiite Islamic Dawa Party. His tenure as prime minister from 2006 to 2014 was marked by power struggles with Sunni and Kurdish rivals, corruption allegations and rising tensions with the United States.
Although he resigned in 2014 after the Islamic State (ISIS) group overran much of the country, he remains an influential politician, leading the Coalition for the Rule of Law and maintaining close ties with Iranian-backed groups.
The United States wields significant influence over Iraq, as most of the country’s oil export revenues are kept at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in an agreement reached after the 2003 U.S. invasion that toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
