The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative American political journalism platform, on Thursday reported that Florida Representative Michael Waltz was set to introduce an amendment to the foreign appropriations bill that would designate Faiq Zidan, president of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, as “Iranian-controlled assets.”
In a post on X, Waltz claimed that Zidan is “at the center of Iran’s plot to turn Iraq into a client state” and that slapping the label on Zidan would be the first step in dismantling Tehran’s network of control.
Iraq’s foreign ministry announced its “complete rejection” of the statements made by Waltz, saying they undermine the basic rights of the Iraqi state and the judiciary chief’s person.
“The ministry considers these statements to be a blatant interference in Iraqi internal affairs, and stresses that the attempt to influence the judiciary is a violation of the most important components of the state entity, which is responsible for achieving justice, equality, and stability for the country,” read the statement.
The statement was issued hours after acting parliament speaker Muhsin al-Mandalawi called on the ministry to reject the “offensive intervention,” stating that if the amendment were to be passed, it would constitute “a dangerous turning point” in Baghdad-Washington relations.
In 2022, Iraq issued an arrest warrant for former American President Donald Trump over the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
Zidan has stated that the judiciary would not hesitate to take legal measures and hold to account those responsible for the deaths of Soleimani and Muhandis.
Fox News, a conservative American channel, sparked controversy in October after reporting that Zidan was set to visit Washington upon the invitation of the Department of Justice, which rescinded its invitation after “a flurry of Fox News Digital press queries.” The trip never took place.
Waltz has on multiple occasions called on Washington to provide further support for its allies in the Kurdistan Region and has criticized Zidan in relation to Erbil-Baghdad relations. In a letter to US President Joe Biden in September, Waltz and two other congressmen urged the administration to help end the “unacceptable treatment” of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) by Iran-aligned elements.
“The Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has served as one of the United States’ most reliable partners in the Middle East, yet is being economically strangled, politically and legally pressured, including reportedly by Faiq Zaydan, President of the Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq, and militarily threatened by Iran and Iran-backed elements in Baghdad,” read the letter.
Zaydan is another anglicized spelling of Zidan’s name.
A series of recent rulings by the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court, deemed by Kurdish officials as detrimental to the Kurdistan Region’s political entity, has escalated tensions between Erbil and Baghdad. Since 2022, the court has labeled the Region’s oil and gas law “unconstitutional,” ruled against the self-extension of the Kurdistan parliament’s fifth term, and cut down the number of seats in the Kurdish legislature from 111 to 100 by decreasing the minority quota.
In March, Waltz was one of eight American lawmakers who expressed “deep concern” over Biden’s invitation to host Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, but refusal to meet with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, “a critical partner and the host of the most U.S. forces in the region.”
“The Biden administration is invested in appeasing Iran, not supporting our allies,” claimed the lawmakers.
Sudani made his first trip to Washington as prime minister of Iraq in April. During a meeting with Biden, the two leaders emphasized their commitment for comprehensive bilateral cooperation in several fields, and also agreed that the Kurdistan Region is an “integral” part of Iraq’s prosperity and stability.