Love Iraq,' Trump Tells New Prime Minister in Oval Office Meeting

President Trump told Iraq’s newly appointed prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, that the United States “loves Iraq” during a Tuesday meeting in the Oval Office, describing the moment as the start of a new era after more than two decades of Middle East “forever wars.” Trump said Iraq has “tremendous potential” tied to oil and suggested Washington would pursue “a lot of deals.” The encounter took place as Iraq works to balance the United States and Iran, two regional powers with a long history of rivalry. Over the past year, the Trump administration increased pressure on Baghdad to reduce Iranian influence, including pushing for disarming Iran-aligned militias and cutting financial ties. In recent months, it cut funding for Iraqi security forces and temporarily blocked Baghdad from moving its own dollars from U.S. banks. Al-Zaidi’s background includes media ownership and state contracts, while Iraq’s central bank banned his Al-Janoob Islamic Bank from U.S. dollar transactions in 2024.