US secretary Rubio warns Iraq against Iran-backed government

Monday 26 January 2026 - 12:50

By: Dakir Madiha

US secretary Rubio warns Iraq against Iran-backed government

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a stark warning to Iraq against forming a government under Iranian influence, as former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki positions himself for a return to power after a decade away. In a Sunday phone call with outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Soudani, Rubio stressed that an Iran-controlled administration cannot effectively safeguard Iraq's own interests, keep the country out of regional conflicts, or advance the mutually beneficial US-Iraq partnership, according to Tommy Pigott, deputy chief spokesperson for the State Department.

The admonition comes days after Iraq's Shiite-majority Coordination Framework, which holds a parliamentary majority, nominated Maliki as its candidate for prime minister on Saturday, citing his political and administrative experience. Maliki, who served two terms from 2006 to 2014, left office under intense US pressure after his sectarian policies were blamed for fueling the rise of the Islamic State extremist group. Iraq's parliament convenes Tuesday to elect a new president, who will then have 15 days to appoint a prime minister. A political source told AFP that Washington views previous Maliki-led governments negatively; in a letter to Iraqi officials, US representatives noted that while Iraq's prime ministerial choice is sovereign, the United States will make its own sovereign decisions on the next government based on American interests.

During the call, Rubio also commended Iraq's handling of Islamic State detainees amid regional instability. The US military began transferring prisoners from northeast Syria to Iraq last week, with 150 moved on January 21 and hundreds more on January 24. The US Central Command indicates up to 7,000 IS detainees could shift to Iraqi-controlled facilities. Iraq's Interior Ministry spokesperson Miqdad Miri told Kurdistan24 that the prisoners are distributed across prisons in Nasiriyah, Hillah, and Nineveh province. Al-Soudani described the transfers as a temporary measure to protect national and regional security, urging relevant countries to repatriate their nationals.

Washington maintains leverage over Baghdad, as much of Iraq's oil export revenues remain held in a US-based account under a 2003 agreement following the American invasion. The United States insists any future government exclude Iran-backed armed groups from power and prevent their resurgence. A pro-Iranian administration in Baghdad would mark a strategic win for Tehran amid its domestic unrest and regional setbacks, including the fall of its ally in Syria.