US President Donald Trump has met Iraq’s new Prime Minister at the White House after strongly backing him in his bid for office.
Ali al-Zaidi, a businessman with no political background, emerged as a consensus candidate in Iraq after months of deadlock over the premiership following last year’s parliamentary elections.
When al-Zaidi was formally installed as Prime Minister-designate in April, Trump said in a social media post that it was the “beginning of a tremendous new chapter between our Nations — Prosperity, Stability, and Success like never seen before.”
The Iraqi Premier’s delegation to Washington includes a number of Iraqi businessmen and government officials, and al-Zaidi’s office said in a statement that the aim of the visit is to “strengthen economic and development partnerships, attract investment, and expand the role of U.S. companies in implementing infrastructure projects” and to further develop the oil-rich country’s energy sector.
As he welcomed Iraq’s new Prime Minister to the White House, Trump touted the “tremendous chemistry” between him and al-Zaidi. “Mark my words, I knew what I was doing,” Trump said in the Oval Office as he sat alongside al-Zaidi for his first visit outside Iraq as Prime Minister.
“This man is going to be a great leader in the Middle East, beyond Iraq. His influence is going to spread all throughout the Middle East.”
Donald Trump
Speaking through an interpreter, al-Zaidi said that he was conveying his greetings from the “oldest civilization in the world” and that the focus of his US visit would be to announce an “economic partnership” between the two countries.
The issue of Iran loomed large in the discussions. Iraq has been under pressure to disarm a network of Iran-backed militias operating in the country, some of which launched attacks on US bases and diplomatic facilities after the US and Israel launched their war against Iran in February.
Officially, the Iraqi government has given non-state armed groups until the end of September to disarm, but some of the most powerful militias have said they have no intention of doing so. Al-Zaidi stressed today that there will be no justification for their existence after Sept. 30.
A Trump administration official said ahead of the Oval Office meeting that the US will make “informed” decisions based on Iraq’s efforts to disarm Iranian-backed militias inside its borders. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the administration’s strategy ahead of al-Zaidi’s visit.
Trump Addresses News Conference With Iraq’s Prime Minister
Trump adressed a news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House, saying that no one should be able to charge a fee for transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said on Monday that the US would charge a 20 percent toll on ships transiting through the strait. However, the US President told reporters today that he was then contacted by Gulf countries that said they’d rather invest in the US.
“They said, ‘We’d love to do it a different way. We’d love to invest in the US with billions and billions of dollars.’ I don’t like the concept of a fee. We welcome investments in the US in exchange for providing protection for the Strait of Hormuz.”
Donald Trump
Referring to Iran, Trump told reporters that he wanted to give them a chance at making a deal. “And they shot first, and that was a big mistake that they shot first because we have been knocking the hell out of them. They’re very difficult people,” Trump said.
He added that the US has destroyed the majority of Iran’s military capabilities. He also said that Uran and Hezbollah might be added to the Russia sanctions bill currently under consideration by Congress.
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