Iraqi PM al-Zeidi visits Washington to convince Trump administration of Iraq's strategic value

Iraq's new Prime Minister Ali al-Zeidi arrives in Washington this week on his first official visit, anticipating a crucial meeting with President Donald Trump. Having received early and strong American support for his government, al-Zeidi is expected to emphasize his readiness to disarm Iran-backed militias and to sign a series of agreements with U.S. energy companies.

These two issues are central to the Trump administration's agenda toward Iraq—an agenda driven not by historical commitment, but by narrower, more specific short-term U.S. security and economic goals.

In the aftermath of the war with Iran and its catastrophic repercussions for Iraq, al-Zeidi leads a country facing serious internal security and economic challenges, as well as a turbulent external landscape. As a businessman with no prior political experience, he seeks to present himself as an outsider political figure: the "Trump of the Middle East." However, in his efforts to meet American demands while maintaining Iraq's stability, he is likely to face backlash from both Iran and the Iraqi political system that brought him to power.

The United States faces two options: remain a key partner in Iraq's stability, or become a source of continuous pressure on the Iraqi state. Al-Zeidi must not only convince Trump of his readiness and ability to meet key American demands, but also persuade him that Iraq still holds a vital place in U.S. national interests and is worthy of continued partnership with Washington.

High Expectations

Al-Zeidi was nominated by the Coordination Framework in late April and received a vote of confidence for his partial government on May 14. He was a surprising consensus candidate, being the first figure without a political background to assume the premiership, emerging after the deadlock created by the effective U.S. veto on the nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Al-Zeidi has publicly promoted his visit to Washington as his first foreign trip, aiming to highlight the importance of the U.S. relationship for Iraq and to solidify the Trump administration's support for him. During his short tenure, he has received several early and significant positive signals from the Trump team, including:

• Phone calls from President Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
• A positive statement from Special Envoy Tom Barrack, praising what he described as al-Zeidi's "new leadership" and "bold agenda"

A Difficult Equation to Achieve

While al-Zeidi tries to present his premiership as representing a new, perhaps more U.S.-leaning direction in Iraqi foreign policy, his visit comes just days after a public memorial ceremony in Iraq for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Al-Zeidi himself, along with a group of Iraqi politicians from Shiite, Sunni, Kurdish, and Christian backgrounds, participated in the funeral procession, traveling to Najaf to receive the body of the leader killed in the early moments of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. They were joined by crowds of Iraqi mourners, reflecting the deep religious and cultural influence Iran still holds within the country.

This striking contradiction embodies the nature of the competition for influence in Iraq. Successive prime ministers have tried to pursue a foreign policy balancing Iraq's symbiotic relationship with Iran and continued strategic cooperation with the United States. However, the war with Iran this year has made this equation more difficult than before. Weakening Iran's grip remains the primary driver of U.S. policy toward Iraq, meaning al-Zeidi will face tough choices.

A Pragmatic Agenda

Al-Zeidi faces a high-stakes, high-reward meeting with Trump—a meeting that has confounded many world leaders before him. In this particular meeting, style may matter more than substance. Al-Zeidi needs to win Trump's favor and convince him that the United States is backing the right leader.

The Trump administration's agenda in Iraq revolves around its broader agenda toward Iran, especially after Iraq slipped into a spiral of violence with the outbreak of the war with Iran. His predecessor, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, dramatically lost U.S. support in the final stage of his premiership, as he was buffeted by the war's repercussions, including:

• Repeated attacks targeting U.S. diplomatic and military sites
• The kidnapping of American journalist Shelley Kittleson