'The Middle East is coming together': Trump hosts handpicked Iraqi leader in Washington
Two months to the day since he was appointed prime minister of Iraq, Ali al-Zaidi, a political novice, found himself in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday, basking in the praise of the US president who put him there.
"I've watched what was happening in Iraq with the elections, and I put a very strong endorsement out because I was very unhappy with the man that was supposed to win the election. And this great gentleman, I think he's going to end up being a great leader," Trump told reporters gathered in the room.
"He's been a great fan of America."
"He's young and he's handsome, which I don't like," the president joked, much to Zaidi's delight.
The meeting was largely an opportunity for the Trump administration to lay out its agenda for Baghdad to emerge from under the shadow of Tehran's influence, and specifically to disarm the Iran-backed factions collectively operating under the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) within Iraq.
Zaidi told reporters his 30 September deadline for groups to lay down their weapons was firm.
"Whoever surrenders his weapons... We will cooperate with them," he said through a translator. "Factions are a need, not a profession."
: 'The Middle East is coming together': Trump hosts handpicked Iraqi leader in Washington
US President Donald Trump shouts to reporters as he greets Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, on 14 July 2026 (Evan Vucci/Reuters)
