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Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced plans to visit Türkiye, Iran and Saudi Arabia following a trip to Washington scheduled for July, outlining an ambitious diplomatic agenda as he vowed to dismantle what he described as a deeply entrenched culture of corruption within the Iraqi state.
Al-Zaidi made the remarks in an interview with the London-based pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
The prime minister said Iraq has received invitations from numerous countries, including France, the United Kingdom and Germany, but that his priority visits after Washington would be Türkiye, Iran and Saudi Arabia. He said cooperation with those neighbors was of particular importance at this stage.
On relations with the United States, Al-Zaidi said he had spoken with Tom Barrack, Washington's special envoy to Iraq, and that the two sides had worked to remove bureaucratic obstacles facing American companies operating in the country.
He also noted that a phone call with President Donald Trump had been encouraging, adding, "At every step, we put Iraq's interests first. There may be those who compromise for material gain, but that approach is not one we will take."
Al-Zaidi was direct in his assessment of corruption as an existential threat, saying the fight against it was "a final, irreversible decision, not a choice but a necessity."
He warned that certain elements had infiltrated state institutions not to serve the public but to plunder its resources, adding that a perverse mindset built on looting and theft had taken hold, and pledging to bring that order to an end and open a new chapter for Iraq.
He confirmed that civil servants' salaries were secure and being paid on schedule, seeking to address concerns about the stability of public finances.
In a series of personal pledges aimed at demonstrating accountability, Al-Zaidi said he would not accept a salary while in office, would refuse any gifts, including a necktie, and would not lay a hand on public assets, declaring himself willing to face punishment if he violated that commitment.
He also ruled out seeking a second term as prime minister and said he would not establish a political party. His stated ambition, he said, was to show the world that Iraq was capable of producing genuine leaders.
On security, Al-Zaidi said he had issued instructions to the country's armed forces to prevent Iraqi territory from being used as a launching ground for attacks against neighboring states.
He added that the current government should not be held responsible for incidents that occurred before it took office.
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