Al-Maliki rejects Trump’s position, continues candidacy premiership
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraqi prime ministerial candidate Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday rejected recent remarks by US President Donald Trump opposing his bid for the premiership, and confirmed that he will continue running for the post.
In a statement, al-Maliki described Trump’s comments as blatant interference in Iraq’s internal affairs, a violation of its sovereignty, and an infringement on its independence.
He stressed that selecting Iraq’s prime minister is a purely sovereign matter, refusing any foreign involvement in the process.
Al-Maliki added that, based on a decision by the Coordination Framework (the largest parliamentary bloc), “we will continue working until the end to achieve the interests of the Iraqi people.”
نرفض رفضا قاطعا التدخل الاميركي السافر في الشؤون الداخلية للعراق، ونعتبره انتهاكا لسيادته ومخالفا للنظام الديمقراطي في العراق بعد العام 2003، وتعديا على قرار الاطار التنسيقي لاختيار مرشحه لمنصب رئاسة الوزراء.ان لغة الحوار بين الدول هي الخيار السياسي الوحيد في التعاطي وليس…
— Nouri Al-Maliki (@nourialmalikiiq) January 28, 2026
Earlier, Trump stated that Iraq would be making a “very bad choice” if it reinstated former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, warning that Washington would end its support if al-Maliki returns to power.
The Islamic Dawa Party, to which Al-Maliki belongs, said in a separate statement that respecting Iraq’s sovereignty and independence requires respecting the political choice of its people. The party condemned " the interference by any party or country in Iraq’s internal affairs through dictation and threats,” calling such actions unacceptable to Iraqis and their national political forces.
It urged Iraqi political factions to defend the country’s independent national decision, and called on the Coordination Framework to “assume its responsibility before the people regarding this blatant interference, which has stirred public opinion in a dangerous precedent that undermines sovereignty and weakens the national decision.”
Last week, the Shiite Coordination Framework (CF), the largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament with around 185 of 329 seats, nominated Al-Maliki as its official candidate for Iraq’s next premier. His nomination drew support from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and segments of the Sunni National Political Council. Al-Maliki served as Iraq’s prime minister from 2006 to 2014, a period marked by major security, political, and institutional challenges. During his tenure, the rise of ISIS led to the group capturing large areas of Iraq in 2014.
Under Iraq’s post-2003 political system, the presidency is traditionally held by a Kurd, the premiership by a Shiite, and the speakership by a Sunni.
