“The message that arrived again is extremely serious,” a senior Iraqi Shiite politician told Alhurra.
The high-ranking Shiite political figure was referring to a “new” American message delivered to the Shiite Coordination Framework regarding the formation of Iraq’s ninth government since 2003.
Several messages have reached Baghdad from Washington in recent months, all concerning two files: government formation and Iran-aligned armed factions.
Over the past 23 years, Iraq has formed eight governments. Nouri al-Maliki, leader of the State of Law Coalition, served eight years in office from 2006 to 2014. Today, he is attempting a comeback, but he faces significant challenges.
To resolve those challenges and prevent the imposition of U.S. sanctions, the Shiite Coordination Framework will meet Tuesday afternoon in Baghdad. The meeting will be hosted by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani at the government palace in the Green Zone.
The gathering will take place just 2.8 kilometers from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and 1.5 kilometers from the Suspension Bridge, where supporters of Kataib Hezbollah have been gathering in an attempt to storm the embassy.
Information obtained by Alhurra indicates that Maliki, as the Framework’s nominee for prime minister, will announce his withdrawal “very soon.”
Maliki did not want to withdraw. He repeatedly insisted on securing a third term, but that did not materialize — and, based on the American message received, it appears it will not.
According to two sources within the Coordination Framework, the message stated that Washington recently informed Shiite political leaders that sanctions on Iraq have already been signed and require only formal announcement and publication to take effect. “But Iraq can still avoid sanctions,” one of the sources quoted an unnamed U.S. envoy as saying.
The message arrived last Friday, less than 24 hours before the start of the war on Iran, according to the two sources.
Washington’s condition is the completion of the government formation process and the selection of a new prime minister — one who is not Maliki. Through this route, Iraq would be able to “avoid sanctions.”
One of the sources told Alhurra: “Maliki has been convinced to withdraw. He will step aside soon. This will help us end the political deadlock.”
At present, some factions within the Coordination Framework are in a difficult position, as the fate of some is tied to how developments in Iran unfold.
However, Maliki does not want to withdraw without securing gains or without remaining a key player in the government formation process. According to the sources, he therefore “stipulated” that he be allowed to nominate someone he considers suitable for the premiership.
The two sources — one a senior political figure in the Coordination Framework and the other a bloc representative within it — said that “Framework forces were not convinced by Maliki’s condition.” One added: “What matters most to us now is his withdrawal.”
The Framework nominated Maliki on January 24, 2026, after Prime Minister Sudani — whose coalition won 51 seats in the 2025 parliamentary elections — faced rejection from the Hikma Movement led by Ammar al-Hakim and from Sadiqoun (the political wing of Asaib Ahl al-Haq) led by Qais al-Khazali.
Following that rejection, the Framework authorized Maliki and Sudani to reach an agreement on which of them would be nominated.
Maliki had been at odds with Sudani, and relations between them had not been smooth since Sudani formed his government in October 2022.
The Framework expected that the two would fail to agree, but Sudani surprised them by stepping aside in favor of Maliki. Maliki’s nomination then plunged the Framework into political paralysis and internationalized the issue, prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to publicly comment on the potential return of the State of Law leader.
On January 27, 2026, Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social: “I hear that the great State of Iraq may make a very bad choice by reinstating Nouri al-Maliki as Prime Minister. The last time Maliki was in power, the country slid into poverty and total chaos. That must not be allowed to happen again.”
Trump’s position placed the Framework in a difficult predicament from which it has yet to emerge. The two sources said: “Time is running out, and we must address this.”
The article is a translation of the original Arabic.
Mustafa Saadoon
Mustafa Saadoon is an Iraqi journalist who has worked for several international and Arab media organizations. He covers politics and human rights.
