Why Washington's efforts to weaken Iran's influence in Iraq may be doomed to fail

US Middle East envoy Tom Barrack met with Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council head Faiq Zaidan three times in the past month. The article argues that Zaidan is a key figure in Iran's network in Iraq, and that Washington's effort to partner with him to curb Iranian-backed militias is unlikely to succeed, as the US appears to be seeking short-term quiet while tacitly acknowledging Iran's ascendant position.

US Middle East envoy Tom Barrack met with Faiq Zaidan, president of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council, three times in the past month — twice in Baghdad and once in London. The article argues that Zaidan is a key figure in the pro-Iran power structure in Iraq, and that Washington's effort to partner with him to curb Iranian-backed militias is unlikely to succeed. It describes Zaidan as playing the role once held by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, running the political scene from behind the curtain, and states that he receives his orders from Iran. The article suggests the US is seeking short-term quiet in return for tacitly acknowledging Iran's ascendant position, backing a faction that offers minimal obfuscation against one that does not. It notes that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi pledged to disarm militias by September 30, 2026, a deadline now pushed to June 2027, and that Kataib Hezbollah appears to have responded to revelations about an unlicensed oil refinery by carrying out a drone attack on the Khor Mor gas field. An Iraqi source told the Post that Zaidi conducted a secret visit to Iran on November 6 to secure Iranian pressure on oil ministry officials blocking the Basra-Banias pipeline project.