TEHRAN – Iraq must either reflect on political mistakes and failed policies of the past, or shape its future based on the country’s strongest interests.

There is nothing more dangerous for Iraq than the moment it realizes that the battle is no longer fought on borders or frontlines. The real conflict is now within the political decision-making itself, manipulated by America and the Zionist regime, who have turned the highest executive office into an open battlefield. 

In the past week, the issue of the Prime Minister’s office has ceased to be a purely domestic matter, governed by the Coordination Framework and the balancing of parliamentary factions. 

Instead, it has become a knot used to settle internal policies with the calculations of Washington and Tel Aviv.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement was not just a passing comment in the social media space; it was a coded political message. His remarks reopened the issue of direct U.S influence and intervention in Iraq’s sovereignty, which had been laid bare. 

Sources suggest that funds were paid by internal Iraqi factions to secure international positions aimed at blocking the nomination of the Coordination Framework’s candidate. These efforts were supported by reports presented to Trump. 

To many, Nouri al-Maliki is not just a politician; he is a symbol. His government represented a relatively strong central authority in Iraq that sought to counteract the influence of foreign-backed terrorism after the U.S. occupation ended in 2011. 

Thus, removing or preventing his return to power has become a long-standing political goal for Washington, revived whenever al-Maliki nears the decision-making circle he left 12 years ago. 

This is where political terrorism manifests most clearly, not through political assassination or discrediting, but through the use of political money, international pressure, and the creation of dangerous narratives.

Meanwhile, the more perilous path for Iraq’s future is a return to terrorism, which has been recycled under humanitarian and security guises. This has enabled the movement of Daesh elements, along with their families, from Syrian camps into Iraq. 

For the Zionist regime, Iraq is not a secondary battlefield; it is the heart of a wider plan. Iraq represents significant human, military, and economic depth, as well as being a center of religious pilgrimage according to Jewish-Zionist texts. Therefore, destabilizing Iraq becomes an end in itself. A weak, divided, or externally controlled government in Iraq would leave the country unable to play any regional role or protect its own interests.

The U.S.-Zionist military buildup against the Islamic Republic of Iran is not just a show of strength; it is a complete reorganization of the region that will likely lead to an open, multi-front war. Iraq is a potential theater of this conflict, whether it wants to be or not. 

This makes any hope for neutrality a dangerous illusion. Given its location and demographic makeup, Iraq cannot remain on the sidelines. It must act to protect itself against America and its Zionist proxy.

Today, these two regimes are playing the Iraqi card once again through:

• Dismantling national political decision-making
• Weakening political factions through propaganda and media pressure to weaken them
• Distracting or preoccupying the public with internal conflicts and delayed salaries

These are tools less costly than direct warfare, and the U.S. is likely to employ them as part of its maximum pressure strategy, aiming for economic gains and deeper infiltration. 

The attempt to prevent Maliki’s leadership, and the symbolic end of his three-term premiership, is not about an individual, but rather a message: any figure who represents a strong state or sovereign decision will be targeted. 

Today, it’s Nouri al-Maliki; tomorrow, it could be anyone.