Trump Administration Increasing Pressure On Iraq To Cut Ties With Iran But Might Close Embassy In Baghdad

The United States is starting a new effort to get Iraq to cut its ties with Iran as part of President Trump’s Maximum Pressure campaign. At the same time the White House may close its embassy in Baghdad showing that Iraq is not a priority. This is another sign of the dysfunction within the American government.

 

The Trump administration has made several demands upon the Iraqi government to end its relationship with Iran. The U.S. threatened sanctions on Baghdad and individuals and businesses connected to Tehran. It has talked about okaying Israeli strikes upon pro-Iran Hashd factions unless they are disbanded or disarmed. It asked the Iraqi government to restart Kurdish oil exports to make up for new limits on Iranian petroleum. It also wants a crackdown upon banks that are smuggling dollars to Iran to get around sanctions. Finally Washington cancelled Iraq’s exemption to buy Iranian gas and electricity.

 

Iraq is one of Iran’s closes allies in the region. All the ruling parties have connections with Tehran and many of them are funded by it as well. The Iraqi elite have facilitated smuggling dollars to Iran and illegally sold its oil to help it deal with sanctions. That is a reason why Iraq has been included in Trump’s new Maximum Pressure effort. It’s also the reason why Baghdad will make few substantive changes. The United States’ focus upon Iraq will ebb and flow but it will always be neighbors with Iran.

 

At the same time Reuters just reported that the White House is considering closing its embassy in Iraq. This is part of a larger cost cutting campaign by the president. It’s also a sign of Trump’s lack of interest in foreign affairs. It’s highly Ironic that Washington is asking so much of Baghdad but then showing that it isn’t really that important by shutting down its diplomatic post. This administration is especially dysfunctional because the president has surrounded himself with sycophants who will not tell him no. It gives the Sudani government another reason to engage with the U.S. but do nothing other than offering cosmetic changes.

 

SOURCES

 

Al Aalem, “Two versions of the Rubio call … and American pressures expand,” 2/27/25

 

Al Hurra, “Iraq between “Iranian hegemony” and the possibility of an Israeli strike,” 2/28/25

 

Kurdistan 24, “Iraq’s Foreign Ministry Works to Avert US Sanctions on PMF Leaders, Companies,” 2/25/25

- “Trump Administration Considers Shutting Down Nearly 30 Embassies, Including in Iraq, Amid Diplomatic Restructuring,” 4/21/25

 

Al Mada, “Washington threatens to impose sanctions on government financial facilities in Iraq,” 2/18/25

 

NINA, “Trump cancels exemption granted to Iraq to import electricity and gas from Iran,” 2/5/25