Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi arrived in Washington on Monday for a long-anticipated visit. The new prime minister is seeking to increase ties with the US.
Iraq is at another crossroads today as the Iraqi leader is trying to rein in Iranian-backed militias and also manage the withdrawal of US forces who are in Iraq as part of the war on ISIS.
The US had withdrawn from Iraq in 2011 but returned in 2014 to help Iraq fight ISIS. The US also has an important presence in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Iraq is already a kind of frontline between the US and Iran. After the US and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28, the Iranians operationalized militias in Iraq.
Those groups carried out hundreds of attacks on US diplomatic facilities and other sites. Kataib Hezbollah, one of the militias, kidnapped US journalist Shelly Kittelson.
Zaidi meets with US Special Envoy Tom Barrack
She was released after a week of being held. Kataib Hezbollah is the same militia that kidnapped researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov in March 2023. She was only released in September 2025.
According to a list of Zaidi’s meetings in Washington, he will remain in the American capital until Saturday. On Tuesday, the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office said that “Prime Minister Mr. Ali Falih Al-Zaidi received, yesterday evening Monday Baghdad time, at his residence in the US capital Washington, the US President's Special Envoy to Iraq, Mr. Tom Barrack.”
Barrack has played a key role as the US envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey. He also recently became envoy to Iraq, uniting his roles with Syria. This is important because it means he is the point person for US policy on these two key countries.
Victoria J. Taylor, Director of the Iraq Initiative at the Atlantic Council and Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq and Iran at the US Department of State, noted on X/Twitter that “Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrives in Washington this week in a true test: Can he convince the Trump administration that the partnership with Baghdad is still worth the effort? My new article on the tough equation he faces between disarming the militias and pleasing Washington without provoking Tehran.”
Iraq’s PMO said that “during the meeting, prospects for joint cooperation between Iraq and the United States of America were discussed. The meeting also witnessed a review of the course of economic relations between the two countries, the developments it has seen over the recent period, and ways to expand areas of cooperation and partnership.”
The office also said, “The meeting addressed developments in the regional situation, the importance of supporting efforts aimed at enhancing security and stability and reducing levels of tension, and the pivotal role that Iraq can play in bringing viewpoints closer together and contributing to de-escalating the situation at the regional level.”
Amberin Zaman, writing at Al-Monitor, noted that “on first foreign trip, Iraqi PM Zaidi woos Trump but Iran casts long shadow.” She notes that “Iraq's new prime minister is in Washington promising business deals and closer ties with the United States, but convincing the Trump administration he can rein in Iran-backed militias may prove his toughest challenge.”
Efforts to restore pipelines through Middle East, Iraq, Syria
Her article notes a few key issues that will be spotlighted during the visit. “Zaidi, a former entrepreneur, is expected to announce a host of deals, many of them linked to energy, as part of a business-first agenda meant to diversify US-Iraqi ties beyond their primarily security-driven focus, administration sources speaking on background told Al-Monitor.”
There is an effort to restore a pipeline from Kirkuk, Iraq, to Syria.
In addition, she adds, “security, however, remains the Trump administration’s top priority with Baghdad, above all the disarming and disbanding of Iran-backed militias.
The groups, which were formed in 2014 initially to fight the Islamic State, repeatedly attacked US military installations inside Iraq as well as targets across the Gulf during the latest Iran conflict.”
Meanwhile, expert Ali Al-Mikdam noted on X that “Washington views the trip as an opportunity to redefine the framework of its relationship with Baghdad, with reducing Iranian influence and curbing armed factions at the top of its agenda. Iraq, meanwhile, seeks to establish a stable strategic partnership that safeguards its security and economic interests.”
He adds that “the outcome of this visit will not only shape the future of Baghdad–Washington relations but could also redefine Iraq’s regional position in the period ahead. Yet its success will ultimately depend on domestic political will.”
The pro-Iran Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) slammed the Iraqi premier’s visit to Washington. Meanwhile, Rudaw media in Erbil in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq noted that “Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi commenced his high-profile visit to the United States on Monday, where he is scheduled to meet with senior US officials, including President Donald Trump.”
It is not clear if and when that meeting will happen. Zaidi is accompanied on his trip by a variety of media outlets, including Rudaw.