Iraqi PM al-Zaydi meets Trump in Washington on first official visit

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi met US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday during his first official visit to Washington since taking office, according to the Associated Press. Trump, who backed al-Zaydi during Iraq's government formation process in April, described the prime minister as "a new name" in Iraqi politics. The talks centered on US priorities including the disarmament of Iran-backed armed groups and the transfer of their weapons to state control. The Iraqi government has set a late September deadline for the groups to hand over their weapons, though some factions have pushed back against the demand. A Trump administration official said before the meeting that Washington would judge Iraq's commitment based on "tangible results." Renad Mansour, a researcher at Chatham House, said al-Zaydi could seek US intelligence and technical support to take tougher action against the armed factions, warning that the groups could otherwise turn on the government. The South Islam Bank previously led by al-Zaydi was among Iraqi banks barred from dollar transactions in 2024 as part of US-coordinated anti-money-laundering measures. No further details from the meeting were immediately available.