The Inside Story Podcast Why is the US pressuring Nouri al-Maliki to withdraw his prime ministerial bid?
Feb 27, 2026
Kenneth Katzman, a US-focused security analyst; Ahmed Rushdie, an Iraqi politics insider; and Muhanad Saloum, a Middle East scholar, debate Nouri al-Maliki's controversial bid. They unpack his past record, US pressure and diplomacy, Iran and militia influence, troop deployments, and possible alternative candidates. Short, sharp conversations on regional power dynamics and Iraqi political fault lines.
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US Previously Forced Maliki Out In 2014
- The U.S. has previously intervened to remove Maliki from power, with the Obama administration pushing him out in 2014 amid ISIS gains.
- Kenneth Katzman notes Obama's insistence that Maliki could not be worked with and that he was effectively dumped in 2014.
Trump's Public Ultimatum To Iraq
- President Trump publicly warned Iraq that US support would end if Maliki returned, framing it as a direct ultimatum.
- James Bays reads Trump's Truth Social message threatening to withdraw US help if Maliki is elected.
US Objection Is Empirical Not Ideological
- The US objection to Maliki is pragmatic, rooted in past outcomes rather than pure ideology.
- Muhanad Saloum says Washington fears repeating the instability experienced under Maliki and aims to prevent renewed intervention in Iraq.