Trump Eyes “Lot of Deals” With Oil-Rich Iraq

By Staff, Agencies

United States President Donald Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met at the White House on Tuesday, pledging closer economic ties and increased Iraqi oil production.

The meeting came after Trump backed al-Zaidi, a businessman with no prior political experience, and publicly opposed former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s bid to lead the government earlier this year.

Ahead of the visit, the Iraqi government said it expected several oil and gas agreements to be signed, while Trump indicated during their Oval Office meeting that multiple deals were forthcoming.

During the meeting, Trump described al-Zaidi as “a fantastic champion, a new champion,” saying he believed the Iraqi leader would become a major regional figure.

For his part, al-Zaidi said he brought greetings from the “oldest civilization in the world” and described the visit as focused on announcing an “economic partnership” between Iraq and the United States.

Addressing questions over US-Iraq tensions, al-Zaidi avoided directly commenting on Trump’s remarks regarding the 2020 martyring of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, saying, “At that time, I wasn’t involved in politics. Let’s talk about the future.”

Meanwhile, Trump highlighted Iraq’s oil potential, saying the two sides would pursue major deals and expand economic opportunities, while al-Zaidi framed the visit as a move toward economic cooperation beyond military ties.

In addition, Trump and al-Zaidi said the remaining US troops in Iraq, estimated at fewer than 2,000, would leave by September 30, with al-Zaidi saying the date would also mark the disarmament of armed factions.

Separately, al-Zaidi said Iraq is seeking a larger OPEC production share to support reconstruction efforts, citing more than $400 billion in damage from the war against ISIS and ongoing displacement.

Elsewhere, Trump said Iran and Hezbollah could be included in Russia sanctions legislation under consideration by Congress, while ruling out discussions on possible secondary sanctions targeting China and India.

Earlier in the political transition, Ali al-Zaidi, a businessman with no political background, emerged as Iraq’s compromise prime minister after months of post-election deadlock, with Trump backing his appointment while having been involved in the process earlier.

Commenting on the visit, Renad Mansour of Chatham House said Washington is likely to pressure al-Zaidi on disarmament efforts, while Iraq may seek US intelligence, technical, and security support amid concerns over potential backlash from armed groups.

At the economic level, the US and Iraq are expected to advance a major energy partnership, with a reported agreement involving a pipeline linking southern Iraq’s Basra to Turkey’s Ceyhan port and Syria’s Baniyas port, with a projected capacity of around 2 million barrels of oil per day.