U.S. envoy Tom Barrack met former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, the Shi'ite alliance's candidate for premier, on Friday, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki reacts at a polling station inside Al-Rasheed Hotel during the parliamentary election in Baghdad, Iraq, November 11, 2025. Reuters/Thaier Al-Sudani
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack met former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, the Shi'ite alliance's candidate for premier, on Friday, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Maliki has been nominated by a powerful Shi'ite bloc to return to the post, but the United States has said it will reconsider its support for Iraq if he is chosen again.
Maliki's media office said Barrack and Maliki discussed developments in Iraq's political landscape and upcoming national priorities.
The statement said Maliki stressed the importance of supporting the democratic process and strengthening political stability, underscoring the need to respect Iraq’s sovereignty and the choices of its people.
Reporting by Muayed Hameed
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The Israeli military said it had begun targeted strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday in response to a "Hezbollah violation", a day after the latest round of U.S.-facilitated talks between Israel and Lebanon took place in Rome.
A proposed deal between Iran and Oman would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source and two regional officials told Reuters on Wednesday, in one of the biggest concessions yet to Iran.
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