US threat fails to deter Iraq’s Maliki from vying for premiership
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BAGHDAD: Iraq’s candidate for the premiership, Nouri al-Maliki, said on Monday he will not withdraw his candidacy after US threats to cut all support if he returns to the post.
But Maliki sought to reassure Washington by saying he backed a state monopoly on arms, saying an understanding is possible with pro-Iran armed factions that have long threatened US interests.
He also vowed not to tolerate threats to diplomatic missions and interests in Iraq if he becomes premier, as fears of a war grow following US threats to strike neighbouring Iran.
“I have absolutely no intention of withdrawing out of respect for my country, its sovereignty, and its will. No one has the right to say whom we can or cannot vote for,” Maliki said of his candidacy.
Last month US President Donald Trump intervened by issuing an ultimatum that if Maliki, a politician with close ties to Iran, was named as Iraq’s next prime minister, the US would no longer help the country. Maliki then denounced blatant interference of the US in Iraq’s affairs, while stressing that Baghdad should still maintain good relations with the US. “I believe a relationship with the American side is essential for Iraq’s progress,” he remarked.
“In fact, what America wants is not new. These are our demands. We want weapons in the hands of the state. We want a centralised military force. We have said it repeatedly: we want one army under one command, directly under state authority,” Maliki said.
“It’s quite possible” to achieve a deal with pro-Iran armed factions, he added.
“There is a good basis for understanding with the factions” but this cannot happen “through force, war, or confrontations”, he said.
He also defended Iraq’s relations with Iran, which he said “rest on the principle that Iraq’s sovereignty is respected” and that “shared interests define this relationship”.
He also vowed to prevent attacks on diplomatic missions in Iraq if he becomes premier, amid fears that Iraq could be dragged into a war if the US strikes Iran.
Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2026
