Inside Washington’s Quiet Bid to Break China’s Grip on Iraq
The article reports that the Trump administration is intensifying efforts to pull Iraq away from Chinese and Russian influence, focusing on replacing China's deep-rooted energy and infrastructure deals with U.S. agreements. It details how China secured foundational cooperation with Iraq during the U.S.'s weakest period post-2003, including the 2019 'Oil for Reconstruction and Investment' agreement and the expanded 2021 'Iraq-China Framework Agreement'. These deals gave Chinese firms substantial oil discounts, rights to station security forces, and permission to build roads, airports, and ports across Iraq. The recent White House meeting between Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi and President Trump is highlighted as a key step in formulating a new U.S.-Iraq cooperation framework aimed at diminishing Beijing and Moscow's role in Baghdad's foreign relations.
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