Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi Balances US and Iran Ties

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has embarked on a delicate diplomatic balancing act, visiting both Washington and Tehran within days of each other. His first official trips to the United States and Iran underscore Baghdad's enduring challenge of maintaining ties with two adversarial powers amid the ongoing US-Iran war.

Washington Visit

In mid-July, al-Zaidi met President Donald Trump at the White House. Trump praised al-Zaidi, saying they had "tremendous chemistry" and that he was "good for America." Source: Foreign Policy The US announced a shift toward economic partnerships, with dozens of deals including rehabilitation of the Iraq-Syria oil pipeline. Trump also stated that US forces would leave Iraq by September 30. Source: Ground News

Tehran Visit

Days later, al-Zaidi traveled to Tehran, his first official visit to Iran as PM. He signed memoranda of understanding on foreign affairs, finance, energy, and security. Al-Zaidi thanked Iran for its support against ISIS and affirmed that Iraq "will never forget Iran's support" and would not allow hostile actions against Iran from Iraqi territory. Source: Al Jazeera Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed that security of the two countries is closely linked. Source: Al Jazeera

Straddling Two Rivals

Al-Zaidi's dual visits highlight Iraq's dependency on both sides. Iraq relies on Iranian natural gas and electricity, with bilateral trade over $12 billion annually, while also seeking US investment and technology. Source: Al Jazeera Political analysts note the difficulty of managing relations with warring states. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's broader strategy of backing strongmen in the region—such as Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa and Lebanon's Joseph Aoun—raises questions about long-term stability.