Iraq's Al-Zaidi Tells Trump Baghdad Seeks to Stay Out of Iran War

Iraq's prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, told U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call that Iraq will not allow its territory to be used as a launching point for attacks against neighbouring countries. Al Jazeera reported the call on November 6, 2026.

Al-Zaidi's office said the conversation covered the evolving situation in the region, security developments and prospects for the next phase.

The call comes as Baghdad tries to keep Iraq out of a conflict that has spread across the region. The United States launched a war on Iran in February 2026. Al-Zaidi took office as prime minister in May 2026 and has made the disarmament of all militias, including pro-Iran groups, a priority. Powerful armed factions in Iraq have in the past fought U.S. forces and fired rockets and drones at Israel.

Iraq's foreign minister, Fuad Hussein, has spoken directly to those groups. He warned Iraqi armed factions not to join any Iranian retaliation should the United States carry out renewed strikes on Iran. Hussein said pushing Iraqi society into the war would lead to disaster, and that neither Iraqi society nor the armed forces are prepared for war.

He also said Iraq is not part of any so-called axis, the term often used for the Iran-aligned network of states and groups, and that Iraq does not want to join the war or become a battlefield.

The economic stakes are large. Since the war began, Iraq has lost more than $60 billion in oil revenues, according to Al Jazeera. About 90 percent of Iraq's oil exports normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route, and those shipments were largely cut off when Tehran closed the waterway. Oil accounts for about 90 percent of Iraq's federal budget, so the disruption reaches every part of government spending.

U.S. forces left Iraq in late September 2026, ending more than two decades of American military presence in the country, Reuters reported. In late October, U.S. officials warned Middle East allies to prepare for possible renewed military action against Iran after the U.S. midterm elections.

Iran's position has also been stated publicly. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran reserved the right to self-defence following U.S. action, as CBS News reported on November 4.

For Iraq, one element of its exposure to the strait is different. Iran has granted Iraq an exemption to pass freely through the Strait of Hormuz.