Trump's remarks on Soleimani kill spark debate in Iraq

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump was overshadowed by Trump's renewed praise for the 2020 killing of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and Popular Mobilization Forces deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. While Trump described al-Zaidi as "a warrior" and predicted a long tenure for him, his comments on the drone strike ignited a significant political debate back in Iraq.

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And I killed him in my first administration. Had I not, it might be a different story today... I actually think the leaders of Iran were afraid of Soleimani.

Trump defended the operation, stating, "I killed him in my first administration. Had I not, it might be a different story today." He also suggested that Iranian leaders feared Soleimani. Referring to al-Muhandis indirectly, Trump remarked, "By the way, a very bad person went with him. They happened to meet at the airport, and a very bad person from Iraq, a leader there, was killed in the same incident." Trump then playfully asked al-Zaidi if he had done him a favor, to which the prime minister responded that he was not involved in politics at the time and that the focus should be on the future, not the past suffering.

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By the way, a very bad person went with him. They happened to meet at the airport, and a very bad person from Iraq, a leader there, was killed in the same incident.

Analysts offered mixed views on al-Zaidi's handling of the exchange. Munqith Dagher, head of the IIACSS research group, praised al-Zaidi's body language and responses for sparing Iraq embarrassment, though he suggested the answer could have been more serious. Adnan Tomeh, a writer and researcher, felt al-Zaidi sidestepped the question, arguing for a more diplomatic response that maintains room for maneuver.

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At that time, I wasn’t working in politics. This visit is about the future and what we can do together. We’re not concerned with the old past. We’ve had enough of the suffering it caused.

However, Iran-aligned factions and al-Muhandis' family issued strong condemnations. The family accused Trump of revealing his fear of the consequences of his "crimes" and criticized al-Zaidi for distancing himself from Iraq's past. They also alleged that the visit aimed to dismantle the PMF and advance U.S. control over Iraq's oil wealth. Akram al-Kaabi, secretary-general of Harakat al-Nujaba, also denounced Trump's remarks, honoring Soleimani and al-Muhandis as significant figures.

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Trump’s characteristic attempts to put visiting leaders on the spot.