'The Middle East is coming together': Trump hosts handpicked Iraqi leader in Washington

'The Middle East is coming together': Trump hosts handpicked Iraqi leader in Washington Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Tue, 07/14/2026 - 16:41 The meeting is largely an opportunity for the US president to lay out his agenda for Baghdad US President Donald Trump shouts to reporters as he greets Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, on 14 July 2026 (Evan Vucci/Reuters) Off Two months to the day since he was appointed prime minister of Iraq, Ali al-Zaidi, a political novice, found himself in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday, basking in the praise of the US president who put him there. "I've watched what was happening in Iraq with the elections, and I put a very strong endorsement out because I was very unhappy with the man that was supposed to win the election. And this great gentleman, I think he's going to end up being a great leader," Trump told reporters gathered in the room.