Iraq's Prime Minister Tells Trump His Territory Won't Be Used to Attack Neighbors as White House Weighs Resuming Iran War

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi called President Donald Trump on Thursday, Nov. 5, and told him Iraqi territory would not be used to launch attacks on neighboring countries. His office said the two discussed "the evolving situation in the region, security developments, and prospects for the next phase."

The call came as Washington decides whether to restart major operations against Iran.

What Baghdad said

Al-Zaidi's office said he "reaffirmed Iraq's call for respect for the sovereignty of states and for Iraqi territory not to be used as a launching point for attacks against neighbouring countries." He also pushed for diplomacy and dialogue.

The statement did not say what Trump told him. The White House had not published its own account of the call.

Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein was blunter in a Thursday interview with Dijlah TV. He called the possibility of renewed U.S. strikes on Iran "not a secret" and warned Iraqi armed groups against joining any Iranian retaliation.

"Pushing Iraqi society into the war will lead to a disaster," Hussein said. "We are not prepared for war. Neither Iraqi society nor the armed forces are prepared for war."

Hussein said Iraq had already been turned into a battlefield, hit by the U.S., by Iran and by armed groups inside the country. "We are not part of any axis," he said.

The pledge has a history

This is not the first time al-Zaidi has made the promise. Per his office, he gave Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the same pledge in Riyadh on Oct. 14, and he met Bahrain's king in Manama on Wednesday.

Iraq's Gulf neighbors have accused Iran-aligned militias of launching strikes from Iraqi soil. Iraqi authorities said drones that hit Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline on Sept. 11 were launched from Maysan governorate. Some militia missiles and drones have also hit oil infrastructure and U.S. military bases, according to the Gulf accusations.

Al-Zaidi took office in May and has made disarming all armed factions a priority, including powerful pro-Iran groups. Trump congratulated him by phone on April 30, and the two met at the White House in July and in New York in September.

Government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi said Oct. 27 that Iraq's constitution bars the use of its territory as a base or route for attacks on neighbors.

Hussam al-Hasani, spokesperson for the Hikma Movement, part of the ruling Shiite Coordination Framework, said Monday that Iraq has received official warnings of sanctions, mainly from the U.S., if it is drawn into a renewed war.

Washington's side

Trump met with his national security team Thursday, and there were meetings at the White House on Wednesday and Thursday, senior officials told Fox News. The officials said Nov. 9 is a new moon in the Middle East, meaning little to no moonlight, a condition favorable for military operations.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Washington would "make a decision" on resuming the war. He framed the question around the nuclear program: "Do we want to go further" with strikes to ensure it is dead and that "it will never happen again?"

"I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I will have to," Trump said. "You'll know soon enough."

U.S. Central Command is finalizing preparations for a possible resumption of major operations but has not received a new directive, according to a U.S. official cited in reports.

Qatari mediators have been pursuing indirect talks between Washington and Tehran. Trump told Fox News on Tuesday that U.S. forces hit an anti-aircraft facility on Iran's Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as a minor attack.

The money

The war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. A ceasefire was announced in April, but the conflict has continued at varying intensity.

Iraq has lost more than $60 billion in oil revenue since the war began. About 90 percent of its oil exports normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran largely closed. Oil makes up about 90 percent of Iraq's federal budget.

Iran has granted Iraq one of the few exemptions allowing free passage through the strait.

Oil markets are jumpy. Brent crude settled up $3.67, or 3.88%, at $98.29 a barrel Thursday, and West Texas Intermediate rose $2.40, or 2.72%, to $90.52, Reuters reported. The gains followed an 8% drop Wednesday to the lowest levels since August, which Reuters tied to expectations that Republican midterm losses could reduce the risk of escalation.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center has reported five attacks on vessels in the region since Sunday.

What comes next

No directive to resume strikes has been publicly issued. Trump has said a decision is coming soon, and officials flagged Nov. 9 as a favorable window. If the U.S. strikes and Iran retaliates, Iraq's government will have to show it can keep its own militias out of it, with U.S. sanctions warnings already on the table.