Former Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al Maliki on Wednesday condemned US criticism of his nomination for a third term, labelling it “blatant interference” in the country's internal affairs.
The largest bloc in Iraq's Parliament on Saturday forwarded Mr Al Maliki as its candidate to head the next government after elections last November.
The Co-ordination Framework said its decision was based on Mr Maliki's “political and administrative experience, and his role in managing the state”.
But US President Donald Trump said Washington would no longer support Iraq if Mr Al Maliki became prime minister and the country would have “zero chance” of success.
“Last time Maliki was in power, the country descended into poverty and total chaos,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social. “That should not be allowed to happen again.”
Mr Al Maliki said the US stance violated Iraq's sovereignty and contradicted the democratic system established after 2003, when a US-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.
“We reject outright the American interference in Iraq's internal affairs, considering it a breach of sovereignty and contrary to the democratic system in Iraq after 2003,” Mr Al Maliki said in a post on X.
He called for the US to engage in dialogue rather than resorting to “dictation and threats”.
“I will continue working to achieve the higher interests of the Iraqi people,” he said, emphasising respect for national will and the Co-ordination Framework's decision, which is “guaranteed by the Iraqi constitution”.
The Co-ordination Framework called for a meeting at Mr Al Maliki's residence later on Wednesday to discuss the US opposition to its candidate, which has left it in a Catch-22 situation, one politician told The National.
“It's an uneasy situation,” he said. He hoped that “all factions put their differences aside and come up with a unified stance”, referring to Shiite political parties, mainly the National State Forces Alliance and Asaib Ahl Al Haq, who didn't support Mr Al Maliki's nomination.
Mr Al Maliki, 75, is secretary general of the Dawa Party, one of the main Shiite groups that opposed Saddam and an influential player in Iraqi politics since 2003.
He served two terms as prime minister between 2006 and 2014 and was later accused of deepening the country's sectarian politics, fuelling corruption and increasing tension with Iraq’s mainly Sunni neighbours. He has forged alliances with Iran and its proxies in Iraq.
Mr Al Maliki has repeatedly denied enabling Iran-backed militant groups while in power, when billions of dollars of US reconstruction funds were flowing into Iraq.
His marginalisation of the country's Sunnis was considered by analysts as having led to the 2014 onslaught by ISIS and the terrorists' temporary control of large areas in northern and western Iraq.
Then, he was pressured to step down by Iraq's top Shiite (n and adj) cleric Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani, the US and even Iran. A year later, an Iraqi parliamentary panel called for Mr Al Maliki and dozens of other top officials to stand trial over the fall of the northern city of Mosul to ISIS, but no legal measures were taken.
Instead, he remained an influential political player in the country's political system, leading the State of Law coalition and maintaining close ties with powerful Iran-backed armed factions, security forces and the judiciary.
His nomination comes after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani withdrew his bid for a second term in office this month to back Mr Al Maliki.
Mr Al Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition emerged from the national election in November with the most seats by any party or bloc, taking 46 of the 329 parliamentary seats. However, it failed to obtain the majority needed to form a government.
Mr Al Maliki’s State of Law bloc came second, securing 29 seats in the November election.
