Can new Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meet Trump’s expectations?
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President Donald Trump has set high expectations for Iraq's newly designated prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, including security cooperation and an end to attacks on U.S. facilities, but al-Zaidi's reliance on Iran-aligned political forces limits his ability to meet those demands. Iraq's political system is deeply constrained by entrenched power networks, particularly militias integrated into the state, making it difficult for any leader to act independently. Meaningful progress will depend not on individual leadership but on structural changes that challenge the existing balance of power in Iraq.
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President Donald Trump has set high expectations for Iraq’s newly designated prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, expectations that reflect Washington’s long-standing hope for a stable, reliable partner in Baghdad. But Iraq’s reality is far more complicated. In Iraq, leadership is not just about capability — it is about constraint. And those constraints are built into the system itself. Al-Zaidi did not rise to power through a reform movement or popular momentum; he was elevated by the Coordination Framework, a bloc widely associated with Iran-aligned political forces and militia-backed influence.
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