Baker's TakeTrump hosts Iraqi prime minister with White House push to curb Iran-backed militias
By
Mr Bagel
President Donald Trump welcomed Iraq's new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, to the White House on Tuesday, throwing his support behind the political newcomer while pressing for action against Iran-backed armed groups. According to KTAR, Trump had strongly backed the businessman with no political background in his bid for office, and al-Zaidi emerged as a consensus candidate after months of parliamentary deadlock.
"President Donald Trump is welcoming Iraq's new prime minister to the White House on Tuesday after strongly backing the political neophyte in his bid for office."
A central goal of the meeting, as reported by koco.com, was to push for disarming a network of Iran-backed militias operating inside Iraq. The visit also carried a personal tone: Newsday reported that Trump touted "tremendous chemistry" with al-Zaidi during the encounter, signaling a warm rapport between the two leaders.
The Independent, however, highlighted a potential point of tension, noting that al-Zaidi previously chaired a bank accused of funneling money to Iran. That accusation was not addressed in other outlets' coverage of the visit, but it could complicate the administration's efforts to isolate Tehran's influence in the region.
Multiple outlets including WKMG News 6 and WDIV ClickOnDetroit reported the visit as a routine diplomatic welcome, but the combination of Trump's personal backing and the explicit focus on militia disarmament underscores the high stakes Washington sees in Iraq's political stability. The White House appears to be betting that al-Zaidi, as a relative outsider, can deliver on security commitments where previous leaders struggled.
The reporting
25 outlets covered this story. Each links to the original.
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