Question:

Asharq Al-Awsat published on its website on 4 August 2026: “The Iraqi government finds itself facing a highly sensitive equation, experiencing political and security paralysis between Washington's demands to disarm the factions and the deeply entrenched Iranian influence within Iraqi political, security, and economic institutions. The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) had announced on 29/7/2026, that at least 20 PMF members were killed and 32 others wounded in attacks launched by American and Saudi fighter jets targeting official PMF headquarters in several Iraqi provinces.” (Asharq Al-Awsat, 4/8/2026). “The United States and Saudi Arabia had launched a joint attack on what they claimed were sites belonging to Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.” (Al-Hurra, 31/7/2026). This was carried out after Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi returned from an official visit to the United States! What is behind all of the above at this particular time? Has America's grip on Iraq tightened even further?

Answer:

To clarify these questions, let's examine the following:

1- With the American occupation of Saddam Hussein's Iraq, America dealt a decisive blow to the Iraqi regime / Ba'athist regime and those behind it, namely British influence in the entire region. However, British influence continued to thrive through Saudi Arabia. Former Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal was outspoken in his criticism of American policy in Iraq, stating that the areas occupied by America were being handed over to Iran. But with the death of the British agent King Abdullah in 2015 and the ascension of American agents Salman and his son Mohammed (MBS) to power in Saudi Arabia, America dealt a fatal blow to British influence in the region. All that remained for the British were the Gulf States and Jordan. They are all small states with no power to oppose the American influence, and incapable of even causing disruption! Thus, America became the de facto power in the region.

2- American policy in its war on Islam under the pretext of terrorism necessitated the sectarian division of the Muslim world. In line with this policy, Iran became a sectarian center, mirroring the other sectarian center, Saudi Arabia. This policy also required expanding Iran's role in the region, a role that included penetrating Iraq and building influence there under the shadow of the American occupation, as well as its influence through sectarian groups in Yemen and Lebanon, and its sectarian extension into Syria and elsewhere. America remained in dire need of this Iranian role.

3- With the end of America's need for Iran in Syria, Iran's role as defined by American policy came to an end, and it was asked to withdraw. Indeed, Iran began to withdraw from Syria and immediately pulled its forces out. It did not participate in the war against the Jewish entity, despite the assassination of its party leaders in Lebanon. However, it refused to back down on its nuclear program. Then, the Jewish entity launched a war against it in 2025, and Iran found itself biting its lip in regret for not fighting "when the white bull was eaten"—that is, immediately after the events of October 7th, 2023—but rather contenting itself with the role of its party in Lebanon. Therefore, the war in 2025, and the subsequent rounds led by America and its close ally the Jewish entity, represented a policy of eliminating the Iranian role in the region. Iraqi groups loyal to Tehran began fighting alongside it, launching missiles and drones against American targets in Iraq and some Gulf States. Here, America insisted on eliminating the Iranian role in Iraq as part of the new Trump administration's policy to reduce Iran to a subordinate state and diminish its regional role if possible. Therefore, the driving force behind the current political developments in Iraq is Trump's policy of eliminating the Iranian influence in Iraq.

4- America, which occupied Iraq in 2003 and established a sectarian political system that granted Iran significant influence, now seeks to end this situation. It wants Iraqi governments to reorient themselves as an Arab state, not sectarian one, meaning severing ties with Iran and normalizing relations with the Gulf States and other Arab countries. All of this is part of a broader effort to counter Iranian influence in Iraq or eliminate its presence altogether. The US has imposed sanctions on Iranian gas supplies to Iraq, urging Baghdad to seek non-Iranian alternatives. Since Iraq's proposed alternative was Turkmen gas, which would have to transit through Iran, America rejected it. The US also refused to allow Iraq to import electricity from Iran: [The United States ended the sanctions waiver that allowed Iraq to purchase electricity from neighboring Iran, in line with President Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" policy on Tehran. (Al Jazeera Net, 9/3/2025)]. Prior to this, the US also imposed sanctions on any Iraqi entity conducting dollar transactions with Iran: [The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing US officials, that the United States has banned 14 Iraqi banks from conducting dollar transactions. The newspaper report stated that the ban, imposed by the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, is part of a broader campaign against the transfer of US currency to Iran. (Al-Quds Al-Arabi, 19/7/2023)].

5- On the other hand, the United States is demanding that the Iraqi government clamp down on pro-Iranian groups and exclude them from the government: [Sources revealed that the United States threatened senior Iraqi politicians with sanctions that could affect the Iraqi state itself, including the potential targeting of its most important financial lifeline—oil revenues deposited in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York—if armed groups supported by Iran are included in the next Iraqi government. According to four sources who spoke to Reuters, this warning is one of the strongest examples so far of US President Donald Trump's campaign to reduce the influence of groups linked to Iran within Iraq. (Sky News Arabia, 23/1/2026)]. In a move indicating the Iraqi government's compliance with US directives, it announced its neutrality in the ongoing conflict with Iran. This neutrality means that it does not side with Iran; otherwise, the US military would be using Iraqi territory to strike Iran and Iraqi groups loyal to Iran, as well as to encourage the Jewish entity to establish military bases, as revealed by some newspapers: [Following previous reports about the existence of an Israeli base on Iraqi soil, a report in The New York Times revealed that “Israel” had established a second secret military base in the western desert of Iraq. (Deutsche Welle, 18/5/2026)].

6- Then America began to openly interfere in who heads the government. Despite Maliki being a loyal American agent and ruled Iraq with a firm American grip during the occupation, the Trump administration openly opposed his re-election as Prime Minister of Iraq. Trump said: "Last time Maliki was in power, the Country descended into poverty and total chaos. That should not be allowed to happen again. Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq.” (Sky News Arabia, 29/1/2026). [Maliki had been nominated by the largest political bloc in the Iraqi parliament to head the government. (Al Arabiya, 14/2/2026)]. Despite his protests, Maliki, along with other Iraqis, was unable to overcome Trump's insistence: [In response to threats from US President Donald Trump, former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki affirmed on Wednesday his rejection of “blatant American interference in Iraq’s internal affairs,” considering it a “violation of his country’s sovereignty.” In protest against Trump’s statements, hundreds demonstrated in Baghdad near the Green Zone, where the US embassy is located. (France 24, 28/1/2026)]. Thus, Trump’s statements unequivocally revealed the true nature of America’s dealings with agent states and its agents. Indeed, Maliki was rejected, and on 27/4/2026, the appointment of a figure acceptable to America took place, Ali al-Zaidi. This reveals that Iranian influence in Iraq is extremely fragile, not even reaching the level of influence itself. Rather, it was America that provided Iran with space and facilitated its actions in Iraq to implement its policies.

7- When America sought to end this role, it began demanding that the Iraqi government disarm these groups and set deadlines for doing so, just as it was demanding of Lebanon regarding the Lebanese-Iranian party. Indeed, two Iraqi groups agreed to disarm: [In early June, fighters from the Peace Brigades (Saraya al-Salam), militias loyal to the Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, gathered in Samarra to hand over their weapons to the Iraqi government. This disarmament process represented the group's withdrawal from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a powerful alliance comprised mostly of Shiite militias, operating both inside and outside the Iraqi state. Thousands of Peace Brigades fighters were the first to withdraw from this alliance, and they were not the last: Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, another powerful militia, also announced their withdrawal from the PMF. Several prominent Iranian-backed militias remain firmly committed to serving Tehran's interests in Iraq and the wider region. However, the split of the PMF constitutes a real blow to Iran. (Independent Arabia 12/7/2026)]. The state sets a deadline for the surrender of weapons: [Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said on Tuesday that his country would not allow any entity to bear arms outside the framework of the state after the end of September. During his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, al-Zaidi emphasized that his government's approach is based on restricting weapons to official security forces. (Sky News Arabia,14/7/2026)]. Therefore, the political developments in Iraq today are linked to the US policy of eliminating Iran's former role and influence in Iraq. America's success in this regard appears significant, not only in terms of military and political pressure on Iraq but also in the financial situation. Iraqi oil revenues are transferred to an account in the US Treasury, so the Iraqi government cannot pay its employees' salaries without the US Treasury's approval!

8- One issue remains: the campaign to expose corruption and corrupt individuals in Iraq. This campaign can only be directed against those linked to Iran in Iraq, threatening them with it. Although it has affected others, the Iraqi regime, which America built to be a model of democracy in the region, is riddled with corruption from top to bottom, making it the most corrupt of all these regimes. [The Iraqi government, in its latest statements, says that it has arrested 21 officials so far, accused of involvement in cases of financial and administrative corruption, while a number of other wanted individuals remain at large... Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi confirmed, during a cabinet meeting, that the government is continuing to combat corruption and recover public funds... Economist Abdul Rahman al-Mashhadani, in an interview with Al Jazeera Net, estimates the economic cost of financial and political corruption in Iraq at more than one trillion dollars, noting that a large portion of the looted funds has been integrated into foreign economies. (Al Jazeera Net, 3/7/2026)].

9- Thus, after the Iraqi president appointed Ali al-Zaidi as prime minister, the list of American demands, according to Al-Sharq TV on 10/5/2026, included taking practical measures to remove Iranian influence from the Iraqi government and disarming armed factions. Indeed, al-Zaidi began implementing the American demands: [The dismissals and extensive changes made by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in sensitive security and economic institutions, after his meeting with US envoy Tom Barrack and prior to his anticipated visit to Washington, sparked controversy regarding whether his "measures" were a step to reassert state authority or a response to pressure targeting the influence of factions close to Iran. (Al Jazeera Net, 19/6/2026)]. Then, political developments in Iraq accelerated: [The Iraqi capital, Baghdad, witnessed an unprecedented security operation in the Green Zone, where Iraqi elite forces arrested 47 officials, including 12 current members of parliament, on corruption charges, on the orders of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. The campaign ousted the Deputy Oil Minister, Ali Maarij, who was subject to US sanctions. (BBC 30/6/2026)].

10- Thus, it becomes clear that political influence in Iraq is purely American influence. America rejected the nomination of the Coordination Framework, which is described as loyal to Iran, of Nouri al-Maliki, and imposed on it the nomination of Ali al-Zaidi. The Coordination Framework did so. Then it ordered al-Zaidi to remove these groups and disarm them, even though only a few days had passed since his appointment. He actually began to do so, and then he launched an anti-corruption campaign. Therefore, the anti-corruption campaign is a sword hanging over the loyalists of Iran in Iraq, even if it affects other officials, as it is difficult to find an official in Iraq who is free from corruption. It is as if al-Zaidi's government, and behind it America, is threatening the armed factions, the groups loyal to Iran, and the officials with the necessity of implementing the state's orders quickly, and in case of delay, corruption files await them, and these are large files. Without this connection, the anti-corruption campaign cannot be understood in a political system that America built corrupt in all its aspects.

11- As for what some believe—that Iraq is trying to balance American and Iranian influence, citing Ali al-Zaidi's visit to the White House on 13/7/2026, where he was warmly received by President Trump, followed by his visit to Tehran on 23/7/2026—and also: [According to a report published by Axios, al-Zaidi insisted on proceeding with his official visit to the United States despite Iranian attempts to cancel it, before meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. The report also noted that the Iraqi Prime Minister attended the funeral of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei a few days prior, before traveling to Washington, in a scene reflecting the balance Baghdad is trying to maintain in its relations with both Tehran and Washington. (Al-Arabiya,16/7/2026)], this balancing act is far from reality. Nothing demonstrates the reality of American influence in Iraq more clearly than the American military presence since 2003. Many officials speak of the withdrawal of American forces, only to discover later that they are still present and capable of striking even Iraqi factions, as they have been doing with helicopters. During the war on Iran, this indicates the proximity of the airports from which the attacks originated, as well as America's facilitation of the establishment of temporary military bases by the Jewish entity in Iraq to launch attacks on Iran. Furthermore, Iraqi oil revenues are deposited into a special account in the US Treasury by various importing countries. America then funds the Iraqi government to the level of its compliance with US policy. Today, the US demands that the Iraqi government respond quickly by removing Iranian influence from the government and dismissing officials with ties to Iran, even those considered loyal US agents, such as Nouri al-Maliki. The US also pressured the Coordination Framework, described as loyal to Iran, to nominate al-Zaidi, only to then incite al-Zaidi to turn against them (the Coordination Factions). What the US urgently demands of al-Zaidi's government today is the disarmament of armed factions linked to the Revolutionary Guard who carry out operations against the US. The Iraqi government has set a deadline of 30/9/2026, for these factions to surrender their weapons. This means the government will be using its security forces to attack Iraqis according to instructions issued by Washington! Trump boasts of influence and plunder in Iraq, claiming the government is sufficient to protect his country's interests. [Trump said during his meeting with al-Zaidi in the Oval Office: “We don't think we need the military there anymore,” adding, “The oil companies are all going in now and they're doing partnerships with Iraq, and they're getting along very well.” (AP News, Independent Arabia, 15/7/2026)]. Thus, America uses its proxies to advance its interests!

12- In conclusion, it is truly painful that Iraq, once the center of the Khilafah (Caliphate), whose Caliph said to the Roman Emperor “The answer is what you see, not what you hear” and then mobilized the Muslim armies and taught him a lesson that brought him back to his senses. This country is now run by America, not only politically, but also because America holds Iraq's money. The Iraqi government cannot pay its employees' salaries unless America agrees to release some of its funds! Truly, this is a great sin and a grave crime. Allah (swt) has spoken the truth regarding these regimes:

[سَيُصِيبُ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا صَغَارٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَعَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَمْكُرُونَ]

“The wicked will soon be overwhelmed by humiliation from Allah and a severe punishment for their evil plots” [Al-An’am: 124].

The Ummah will not be saved from this humiliation unless it restores its Khilafah Rashidah (rightly guided Caliphate) by giving support to Hizb ut Tahrir, the pioneer that does not lie to its people. Only then will Allah's promise be fulfilled.

[وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْض..]

“Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good that He will certainly make them successors in the land” [An-Nur: 55]. And then the glad tidings of the Messenger of Allah (saw) will be fulfilled after this oppressive rule under which we live. Hudhayfah said: The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

«... ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكاً جَبْرِيَّةً فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةً عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ ثُمَّ سَكَتَ»

“… Then there will be oppressive rule (ملكًا جبرية) for as long as Allah wills, then he will remove it when He wills, and then there will be Khilafah on the method of Prophethood.’ Then he (saw) was silent.” Then Allah's victory will be achieved.

[وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ * بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِ يَنْصُرُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيم]

“And on that day the believers will rejoice * at the victory willed by Allah. He gives victory to whoever He wills. For He is the Almighty, Most Merciful” [Ar-Rum: 4-5]