Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi received a notably warm welcome during his visit to the United States, where he met President Donald Trump and sought to translate political rapprochement into economic and investment partnerships.
Drawing on his business background, al-Zaidi told US companies they shared “a common language — the economy.” He stressed, however, that he had not come to the United States as a “contractor,” but to pursue broad-based development in Iraq, which he said had missed opportunities for growth over the past two decades despite its ties with successive US administrations.
Al-Zaidi linked Iraq’s next security and political phase to a new era of economic cooperation. He noted that the departure of the remaining US forces after September 30, under an agreement reached between the government of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Washington, could open the door to broader economic and investment partnerships.
Before the visit, al-Zaidi said Iraq would no longer need the concept of “resistance” after the end of September, arguing that “resistance is not a profession, but a necessity” imposed by the country’s past circumstances.
His outreach drew criticism from Iran-aligned groups and their Iraqi allies, who argued that opening the door to US companies represented a political and economic shift requiring reassessment.
The criticism coincided with Iraq’s signing of about 48 memorandums of understanding and agreements with US companies, alongside energy deals that included an oil export route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz and a memorandum of understanding with Syria to transport Iraqi oil to the Syrian port of Banias.
Velayati Criticizes Al-Zaidi
The developments also drew criticism in Tehran, where Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, described al-Zaidi as “inexperienced,” according to media reports.
Writing in the newspaper Farhikhtegan, Velayati said the Iraqi prime minister’s conduct during his meeting with Trump, shortly after the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was “a great disgrace.”
Observers say the dispute reflects intensifying competition over Iraq’s future relationship with both the United States and Iran, as Baghdad seeks to attract foreign investment while preserving its regional balance.
Analyst Iyad al-Samawi questioned whether Iraq was truly prepared to host major US companies and provide an adequate investment climate.
“Global companies do not invest on emotion or gamble with their decisions,” he underlined, stating that they look not only for oil, but also for security, stable legislation, judicial independence, efficient procedures, clear decision-making, and institutional integrity.
He added that major US companies operate under strict anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws and would not lower their standards to accommodate an unstable business environment. The success of the agreements signed in Washington, he said, “begins not with the companies, but with the Iraqi state itself.”
A former security official told Asharq Al-Awsat that the campaign against al-Zaidi was “not merely a passing political escalation,” but reflected concerns that his economic opening could create a more favorable environment for US companies.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said al-Zaidi was seeking to apply his business experience to government by “blending politics with finance and business.” But major US companies, he added, would not invest in Iraq as long as political corruption and security instability persisted.
The official argued that pressure from Iran and allied Iraqi factions was intended to slow the economic opening championed by the prime minister.
