France and Iraq agreed to maintain military cooperation after the international coalition's September 30 mission ends, marking Baghdad's first post-coalition security arrangement, and signed agreements on air defence systems and a strategic defense roadmap.
Israel initiated conflict with Iran since February 28, bearing minimal war costs while its defense industries post record profits, as Iranian strikes target Gulf infrastructure and regional proxies instead, effectively dismantling Iran's four-decade deterrence network.
Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister al-Zaidi met at the White House, pledging numerous economic and oil deals while committing to withdraw remaining US forces by September 30 and disarm Iran-backed militias, shifting relations from military to economic focus.
Trump administration leveraged U.S. financial control to force Iraq's elite to abandon Iran-aligned politician Nouri al-Maliki in favor of banker Ali al-Zaidi, exemplifying Treasury-deployed coercive diplomacy in post-war Middle East strategy.
The US demands Iraq's new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi take concrete actions distancing the state from pro-Iran militias-including expelling them from institutions and cutting budget support-before resuming suspended financial aid and security assistance worth significant resources.
Oil prices rose 0.74 percent to $68.05 amid trader concerns that failed US-Iran nuclear talks increased military conflict risk, potentially disrupting Strait of Hormuz crude flows.
Iraq and Saudi Arabia, warmed by U.S. policy efforts, strengthen ties after three decades of tension, seeking regional stability and countering Iranian influence through reconstruction cooperation.
Iraq's judiciary backed government efforts to disarm militias before the September 30 coalition withdrawal deadline, as Iran-aligned factions resisted surrendering weapons, creating tension between US pressure for compliance and Tehran's opposition to disarmament.
Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi holds office due to US financial pressure, not domestic political support, as Washington leverages Iraq's oil revenues and dollar access to reshape Baghdad's governance, security alignment, and economic policy.
Trump welcomes Iraq's new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to the White House, backing the political newcomer despite al-Zaidi's previous chairmanship of a bank involved in alleged Iran financial flows, amid discussions on Iran-backed militias and economic ties.
Trump backed Iraq's prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi to block Iran-aligned Nouri al-Maliki, leveraging suspended oil revenues and security aid to pressure Iraq's parliament, conditioning full US support on concrete actions against pro-Iran militias.
Trump declared the US "militarily defeated" Iran amid stalled ceasefire negotiations, while refusing to discuss nuclear programs, intensifying US-Iran tensions as Middle East conflict roils global energy markets and strains Western alliances.
Iraq elects Kurdish politician Nizar Amidi as president amid war fallout.
Iraqis face fuel shortages as regional war disrupts imports.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi visited the White House seeking economic ties and an $8 billion IMF loan while facing pressure to disarm Iran-aligned militias, as Kataib Hezbollah pledged to fight the US if Iran is attacked, complicating Iraq's balancing act between both powers.
Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi took office in Iraq amid severe crises including oil exports collapsing from 4.188 million to 1.39 barrels daily, power shortages, and fiscal peril threatening economic stability as geopolitical tensions persist.
The US demands Iraq's incoming Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi take concrete actions against pro-Iran armed groups, including expelling militias from state institutions and cutting their budget funding, before resuming suspended financial aid and security assistance.
Iraq's president nominated businessman Ali al-Zaidi as prime minister-designate Monday, after US pressure forced leaders to abandon Iran-aligned predecessor Nouri al-Maliki, shifting regional power dynamics amid ongoing Middle East tensions.
Iraq's parliament elects Kurdish politician Nizar Amidi as president.