ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Washington has reiterated its readiness to confront "Iran’s destabilizing activities" in Iraq, asserting that future Iraqi governments must remain independent and focused on national interests, the US Embassy in Baghdad said on Thursday.
In a statement issued on X, the embassy said that during a meeting between US Charge d’Affaires to Iraq Joshua Harris and the head of the National Alnahj Alliance, Abdul Hussein al-Moussawi, Harris affirmed that the US is "prepared to use the full range of tools to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities in Iraq.”
Harris emphasized that “any Iraqi government should remain fully independent and focused on advancing the national interests of all Iraqis,” the statement said.
“In his meeting with Dr. Al-Musawi, #CDA Harris discussed the importance of a strong US-Iraq partnership that delivers tangible benefits for Americans and Iraqis as we work to advance our shared interests - safeguarding Iraqi sovereignty, bolstering regional stability, and strengthening economic ties,” the embassy said.
The National Alnahj Alliance is a key party in the Shiite-led Coordination Framework, the largest parliamentary bloc which holds 179 of 329 seats. Political factions have since maneuvered to elect a new president who will appoint a prime minister-designate from the largest bloc.
This process follows Iraq’s post-2003 informal power-sharing system, under which the parliament speaker post is delegated to Sunni Arabs, the premiership to Shiite parties, and the presidency to Kurds.
In January, the framework announced former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki as its candidate for the premiership.
The US has since ramped up pressure on Iraqi lawmakers, with President Donald Trump warning against Maliki’s return to power.