US Dictates Baghdad's Leadership, Demands Submission to Anti-Iran Stance
Connect these dots: In 2026, the US presented Baghdad with seven demands for its next Prime Minister, heavily emphasizing a rupture with Iran. This intervention is not an isolated incident. It echoes a long history of Washington attempting to control Iraqi politics, particularly where its strategic interests, often defined by opposition to Iran, are concerned. Rewind to 2003 when the US invasion
destabilized Iraq, creating a power vacuum partially filled by Iran's influence with local resistance groups. This so-called US concern over 'Iranian influence' conveniently overlooks decades of Western intervention, including the 1953 CIA-orchestrated coup in Iran itself, which sowed the seeds of enduring mistrust and anti-imperialist sentiment across the region. The double standard is clear: US
influence is framed as liberating, while any other nation's regional ties are deemed 'malign.' The current demands include preventing former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki from returning to power, signaling a direct US veto over Iraq's internal democratic processes. This mirrors earlier periods where the US explicitly supported certain factions while undermining others, often under the guise of
promoting stability. The ongoing pressure on Iraq to conform to US foreign policy objectives, particularly regarding Iran, demonstrates a clear pattern of external manipulation rather than genuine respect for Iraqi sovereignty. Every year since 1979, the US has maintained crippling sanctions on Iran, costing its economy an estimated $1 trillion, yet still expects regional actors to align against