Pro-Iran shift in Iraq would hurt US ties, Rubio says

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iraq against moving closer to Iran, as former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki appears set to regain power with the backing of Iran-aligned Shiite parties.

Maliki, a key figure in Iraqi politics, received the support of the Shiite Coordination Framework, the main parliamentary alliance, which holds a majority and maintains close ties with Tehran.

During a phone call with current Prime Minister Mohamed Chia al-Soudani, Rubio said Washington hoped Iraq’s next government would act as “a force for stability, prosperity and security in the Middle East.” 

He warned that a government under Iranian influence would struggle to put Iraq’s interests first, avoid regional conflicts, or advance US-Iraq relations, according to State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott.

A pro-Iran government in Baghdad would offer Tehran a rare diplomatic gain at a time when it faces internal unrest and growing regional pressure, including strikes linked to the Gaza war.

US officials have previously expressed a “negative view” of governments led by Maliki, an Iraqi political source told AFP. While acknowledging Iraq’s right to choose its leaders, Washington has said it will make its own decisions based on US interests.

The United States retains significant leverage over Iraq, including oversight of much of its oil revenue under a post-2003 agreement. 

Prime Minister Soudani, in office since 2022, has earned US trust by working to curb violence by Iran-backed armed groups, which Washington fears could re-emerge under a Maliki-led government.