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Guest post by Sardar Abdulla
President Trump recently declared, “It is time for new leadership in Iran.” I leave that for Iranians to decide. But while the world watches Tehran, there is another leadership change happening right now that could determine whether President Trump's Middle East vision succeeds or fails: Iraq.
Within weeks, Iraq's Parliament will elect a new president. This is not a ceremonial matter. The Iraqi president nominates the Prime Minister, sends legislation to Parliament, represents the Iraq abroad, and—most critically—is the guarantor of our Constitution. Get this wrong, and Iran gains a puppet in the heart of the Middle East. Get it right, and America gains a strategic partner that can help reshape the entire region.
Here is the uncomfortable truth: since President Jalal Talabani—Iraq's last strong president—Iran has been the decisive power in choosing who leads Iraq. It transformed Iraq into a staging ground for its proxy wars—destabilizing the country, killing Iraqis and Americans, and destroying billions in American investment. Iraq became Iran's chessboard, and both Iraqis and Americans paid the price. Many Iraqi politicians do not even hide it. They compete for Tehran's endorsement. This is tragic.
I am running for president because I reject this. I was offered meetings with Iranian officials to secure their blessing. I refused. There was an attempt to remove my name from the ballot because I am running for Iraq's presidency—not to become Iran's puppet.
I respect good relations with all our neighbours, including Iran. But I reject foreign intervention in our elections, just as Iran would reject Iraqi interference in theirs.
I am a veteran Kurdish fighter. I spent decades in the mountains fighting Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. I buried my brother and friends in that fight.
My country fought Iran for a decade in the 1980s. Millions died on both sides. Removing Saddam was supposed to be an opportunity for Iraq and Iran to reset relations—not for one to dominate the other. The mistake was not removing Saddam, but not paying attention to who came later. I want nothing from Iran except good neighbourly relations. But like President Trump says about America, we need to Make Iraq Great Again by making decisions that serve Iraq's interests—not Tehran's.
Iraq does not need American aid. We have enough resources and human capital. What Iraq needs is what America has always asked for—an independent, sovereign, free Iraq governed by the rule of law. An effective Iraqi leader, in partnership with the U.S can achieve that.
America spent trillions of dollars in Iraq, but it has never taken a single barrel of Iraqi oil for free. It never demanded discounted rates or special treatment. It continues to spend hundreds of millions training Iraqi security forces. It provides scholarships and programs for Iraqi students and empowered Iraqi civil society in the last two decades. More importantly, American sons and daughters died on Iraqi soil so that Iraqis can be free.
Leaders matter. A few weeks ago, President Trump made a decisive move to remove Maduro from Venezuela because bad leaders are curses upon nations. We do not need violence to change leadership in Iraq—we have democratic elections. We ask that the United States pay attention to the process. It is in America’s interest.
During previous U.S. administrations, Washington's Iraq policy was vague, inconsistent and easily exploited. Iran filled the vacuum, installing loyalists throughout Iraqi state institutions while America watched. President Trump has changed that. His administration has a clear vision: a sovereign Iraq, free of militia, aligned with the West. But here is the hard truth—that requires effective Iraqi leadership. It requires the right president in Baghdad.
If elected, I will nominate a prime minister that aligns with Iraq’s interests. With the prime minister, I will pursue a strategic partnership with the United States in trade, energy, technology and agriculture. With parliament, I will open Iraq's economy to American companies with tax-free incentives. I will send new legislation to end the socialist state-controlled system that has strangled Iraqi innovation for decades. Our youth are hungry for opportunity—American private enterprise can provide it better than anyone.
I will dissolve Iraq’s militia within six months, invoking the mandate of Grand Ayatollah Sistani, who has called for no weapons outside the state. Iraq's security must belong to the state alone—not to Iranian proxies.
And I will heal Iraq's internal wounds. A strong president in Baghdad can resolve disputes between the Kurdistan Region and the Federal Government without requiring American diplomatic intervention. Let U.S. officials focus on trade and energy—not refereeing Iraqi dysfunction.
Iraq is the cradle of civilization—and the birthplace of multiple faiths. As president, I will issue executive orders and send legislation to Parliament to protect and revive all historical religious sites: Christian churches, Yazidi temples, Chaldean sanctuaries, Sabian Mandaean sites, Jewish synagogues and Kakai holy places.
I will call on Iraq's religious minorities to return home. Their places of worship will be designated as state-protected heritage sites. Iraq's history belongs to all its people.
Allowing Iran to install its man as Iraq's head of state will lead to more militia, more instability and will undermine President Trump's entire Middle East peace plan. A strong, decisive, pro-American president in Baghdad is not just good for Iraq—it is essential for regional transformation.
President Trump wants new leadership in Iran. I want that, for Iraq. Lasting change in the region requires new leadership in Iraq first—leadership that will partner with America instead of undermining it. Turning Iraq from a curse into a blessing for its people and America under President Trump’s leadership is within reach. I am ready to serve.
Sardar Abdulla served for ten years as a Kurdish fighter and commander against the regime of Saddam Hussein. Born in Baghdad, he received his B.A. from the University of Sulaymaniyah, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). After serving the Kurdish cause, Mr. Abdulla became an editor and writer at multiple media outlets in the KRI. He was editor-in-chief at Harem newspaper and Rojnama newspaper, among other senior positions. Following his prolific writing career, Mr. Abdulla served as an advisor to the first Iraqi president after the country’s liberation in 2003, Jalal Talabani. Mr. Abdulla was elected as a Member of Parliament in Iraq in 2010. Previously, he ran for president of Iraq, in 2018.
