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Iraq's former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said in an interview with Al Sharqiya TV on Tuesday evening that he could withdraw his bid for prime minister if the decision comes from the Coordination Framework.
He argued that stepping aside at the request of a foreign state would undermine Iraq’s sovereignty.
He said he would not object to withdrawing his candidacy, but only on the condition that the decision comes from the coordination framework itself, not in response to external pressure or demands.
Al-Maliki stressed that his nomination came through an Iraqi political institution, the “Coordination Framework,” and not as an individual decision.
He said that withdrawing at the request of a foreign state would set a dangerous precedent that undermines national sovereignty.
In this context, he said he is “an Iraqi citizen” and that the process of selecting the prime minister is governed exclusively by constitutional mechanisms and internal consensus, not by external dictates.
On Jan. 27, U.S. President Donald Trump said that if Maliki, who served as prime minister for most of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, were chosen to return to the post, Washington would no longer help Iraq, a major oil producer and close U.S. ally.
Speaking about the U.S. president’s tweet, he said Trump had been, in his words, deliberately misled by three countries, along with Iraqi domestic actors, in an effort to block him from securing a third term.
“I heard the tweet was written here, but I have not verified that yet,” he commented.
He also denied circulating claims that the United States could impose economic sanctions on Iraq if he were to return to the premiership, arguing that such assumptions are being used as a pressure tactic to push him to drop his candidacy.
He said these scenarios are not based on real evidence but are being promoted as part of an organized political campaign.
However, Iraqi political sources told Middle East Online on Sunday that differences have emerged within the Coordination Framework, driven by al-Maliki’s insistence on pressing ahead with his candidacy, while some factions fear the repercussions of a clash with Washington.
According to these sources, the alliance is seeking to forge a unified stance that balances safeguarding the independence of political decision-making with avoiding international complications that could affect the course of the political process.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social last Tuesday that al-Maliki’s return to the premiership “should not be allowed,” arguing that Iraq “slid into poverty and chaos” during his previous term.
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