US threatens Iraq with sanctions targeting key institutions if Maliki returns as PM: Report
Washington has reportedly sent a message to Iraq’s main Shia alliance, which holds a parliamentary majority, warning of potential US sanctions should the bloc proceed with the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki for the Arab country's next prime minister.
This is according to an Iraqi adviser who spoke with Alhurra on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
The adviser said on Monday that the US side threatened sanctions against the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), the Central Bank of Iraq, as well as security and diplomatic sectors, in addition to political figures and former and current officials.
The advisor suggested that the economic sanctions could involve curbs on Iraqi oil exports, constraints on the Iraqi government’s access to US dollars, or penalties on banks and financial institutions.
The measures could result in a nearly complete stop in international trade, and immense challenges in disbursing salaries for the public sector.
A member of the Coordination Framework verified the message's authenticity, saying it was communicated to the alliance via a high-ranking Framework leader who recently met with , the US chargé d’Affaires Joshua Harris.
The US Embassy revealed on Thursday that Harris met with Abdul Hussein al-Moussawi, leader of the National Path Alliance, a part of the Coordination Framework.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States is paying close attention to the matter of Maliki’s nomination for the position of prime minister in Iraq.
“We’re watching the situation regarding the prime minister. We’ll see what happens. We have some ideas about it, but in the end, everyone needs America,” Trump said when asked whether he still objected to Maliki’s nomination.
Earlier this month, Maliki said his withdrawal of candidacy for the post would jeopardize Iraq’s sovereignty, emphasizing that he would only step aside if the Coordination Framework asks him to do so.
Maliki served as Iraq’s prime minister from 2006 to 2014 and as vice president between 2014 and 2015 and again from 2016 to 2018. He currently heads the Islamic Dawa Party political movement.
He is a senior figure in Iraq’s political scene and maintains close ties with various factions, including parties linked to the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) that have opposed foreign interference in the Arab country’s affairs. The PMU was formed in 2014 to fight the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group and was later incorporated into Iraq’s armed forces.
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