Maliki’s coalition: Warning of a US embargo on Iraq is “naive”.
The State of Law coalition, led by Nouri al-Maliki, said on Wednesday that warnings of an American embargo on Iraq if its leader assumes the premiership in the next government represent “naive analysis”.
The official spokesman for the coalition, MP Aqeel Al-Fatlawi, said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency, “Some are trying to scare the public by promoting the idea that the American administration will impose a ban on Iraq if Mr. Maliki takes over, and unfortunately this proposal reflects a great deal of naivety in thinking and analysis.”
He added that “Iraq produces approximately 4.5 million barrels of oil per day, and exports the majority of it to the global market, making it an influential element in global energy and price balances,” explaining that “given the sensitivity of the oil market, it is illogical to assume that these large quantities will be withheld from international markets in response to emotional analyses or unrealistic estimates.”
Al-Fatlawi continued, “American policies are often managed according to the logic of interests and balances, not the logic of slogans or reactions,” noting that “portraying sanctions as an easy or automatic option ignores the complexities of the global economy and the entanglements of the energy market.”
Nouri al-Maliki, the head of the State of Law Coalition, had previously confirmed his insistence on running for prime minister despite American rejection, stressing that the selection of the head of government is a purely Iraqi matter decided by constitutional institutions.
Al-Maliki denied that his candidacy would lead to sanctions being imposed on the country, considering this proposal to be a means of putting pressure on him, and expressing his readiness to step down if the majority of the coordinating framework requested it, while the framework renewed its commitment to his candidacy and discussed options to overcome American objections.
It is worth noting that US President Donald Trump said, on January 27, 2026, via a post on the “Truth Social” platform, that the return of former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to the premiership is “something that should not be allowed,” considering that Iraq “slid into poverty and chaos” during his previous term.
Shafaq.com