Iraq’s prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, received a direct signal from the White House after U.S. President Donald Trump called him Thursday and invited him to Washington once he successfully forms a government, according to the Iraqi prime minister’s office.
The office said Trump extended the invitation in the course of the phone call. Trump later congratulated al-Zaidi in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying he wished him “success” as he works to form a new government “free from terrorism that could deliver a brighter future for Iraq.” The post also described the move as the start of what Trump said would be a “tremendous new chapter” between the United States and Iraq.
The call and the accompanying post, the report said, indicated Washington had given its “blessing” to al-Zaidi following Trump’s earlier public disapproval of a different leading candidate for the post. Trump had previously opposed Nouri al-Maliki and threatened to cut off aid to Iraq if al-Maliki was appointed prime minister.
The nomination of al-Zaidi came from the Coordination Framework, a parliamentary coalition of Shiite parties allied with Iran. The bloc nominated al-Zaidi after weeks of internal debate among its member parties, according to the report, and did so after it had previously said it would back al-Maliki.
Al-Zaidi is described as a businessman and political newcomer. The report said he serves as chairman of Al-Janoob Islamic Bank and had not previously held political office. It also noted that in 2024 the Iraqi central bank banned a number of banks, including Al-Janoob, from dealing in dollars amid pressure from the United States to crack down on money laundering and funneling funds to Iran; neither the bank nor al-Zaidi are said to be under U.S. sanctions.
After his nomination, al-Zaidi promised to focus on making Iraq “a balanced country, regionally and internationally,” the report said. He said the appointment comes at “a sensitive time that requires concerted efforts from all political and social forces.”
Under Iraq’s constitution, the designated prime minister has 30 days to present a Cabinet lineup to parliament, where the report said a confidence vote requires 167 votes. The next government, the report added, will have to handle political and economic fallout tied to the Iran war that spilled over into Iraq, as well as disruptions to oil exports after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which affects Iraq’s economy.