As the U.S. aircraft carrier prepares to strike Iran, the United States' most lethal opponent has made an appearance, and the White House immediately exploded with anger!
In early January 2026, the skies over the Persian Gulf were thick with war clouds. The U.S. "Lincoln" aircraft carrier battle group was rushing toward the Arabian Sea at full speed, F-15E fighters had been deployed to Jordan bases, and the C-40 special aircraft overnight transported Central Command Commander Brad Cooper to the front lines in the Middle East - all signs pointed to a possible imminent military action against Iran.
However, just at this critical moment, an internal change seemingly from Iraq plunged the White House into a strategic disadvantage: The Iraqi Coordination Conference formally nominated former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as a candidate for the next prime minister.
Why did this news anger the White House so much? Because during the eight years that Maliki held power in Iraq from 2006 to 2014, it was the eight years when the U.S. military was deeply mired in Iraq. During his tenure, he repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of U.S. forces, and in 2011, he finally facilitated the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops, but this withdrawal was seen by Washington as a major strategic setback. More concerning for the U.S. was that Maliki has always been pro-Iranian, with close ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and Shia militia organizations. If he regains power, it is almost certain that he would push for the U.S. military to withdraw from Iraq again, possibly even cutting off U.S. intelligence and logistics nodes in Baghdad, Erbil, and other areas.
These bases are precisely the key forward positions for the U.S. military in the event of a war with Iran. Drones can fly directly to the southwest of Tehran from Anbar Province in western Iraq; radar stations in the northern Kurdish region can monitor missile launch positions in northwest Iran; and the Al Asad Air Base south of Baghdad is the core hub for the deployment of "Patriot" systems and rapid response forces. If Maliki takes power and orders the expulsion of U.S. forces, it would be equivalent to pulling out the platform and eyes of the U.S. just as it is about to deliver a heavy blow.
The irony is that this timing is extremely precise. Just as the "Lincoln" entered silent navigation, the U.S. military intensified the evacuation of its citizens, and the Pentagon loudly showcased its striking capabilities, Maliki came back to power - this is hard to be considered a coincidence.
Faced with this situation, the White House reacted fiercely. He not only publicly stated "firmly opposed to Maliki," but also rarely threatened to stop "all aid" - including hundreds of millions of dollars in annual security cooperation funds, intelligence sharing, and counter-terrorism support.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855524835527808/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.