Iraqi Militia Vows To Disrupt Any Future Iraq-Syria Oil Pipeline: US 'Stealing Our Oil'
US and Iraqi officials are set to conclude a major energy deal as part of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s visit to Washington this week, according to Iraqi officials cited by AP Wednesday.
"An agreement is slated to be signed Friday between Iraq, US companies Chevron and TI Capital, and Qatar’s UCC for construction of an oil pipeline that will connect southern Iraq’s Basra to western Iraq’s Haditha," the officials said.
The pipeline is meant to extend from Haditha to Turkiye’s Ceyhan port and the port of Baniyas in Syria.
The details of the reported agreement were not discussed publicly during meetings between Zaidi and US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday. Neither the US president nor the Iraqi premier mentioned the deal. AP referred to it as a “significant energy deal.”
A senior Trump administration official said later on 14 July that Washington is “facilitating conversation” between Iraq and Syria regarding potential future energy projects.
Meanwhile, Iraqi pro-Iran resistance faction Al-Nujaba Movement warned against making deals with Washington in Iraq.
“[Trump] will not continue living under the illusion of stealing Iraq's oil and wealth, whether through direct theft or under the cover of suspicious investments. The Islamic resistance will continue confronting US forces and drive them from Iraq's land and skies,” the movement’s leader Akram al-Kaabi said in a statement on Wednesday.
The new Iraqi prime minister’s visit to Washington is expected to last until Saturday.
On Tuesday, the premier said that Iraq deserved an equitable allocation within OPEC, coming during discussions with Trump in the Oval Office. His comments were a response to questions on whether Iraq was considering withdrawing from the oil producers' alliance.
“Iraq is one of the founding members of OPEC ... Our right is to receive a fair share for Iraq,” Zaidi said to reporters during the meeting with Trump.
“The damage suffered by Iraq exceeds $400 billion, and to this day some Iraqis still have destroyed homes and are living in camps. I have a plan to return them to their homes, and that is why I want a fair share for Iraq in OPEC,” the Iraqi premier went on to say.
During the meeting at the Oval Office, Trump called Zaidi “young” and “handsome,” and that he had “tremendous chemistry” with the new Iraqi prime minister.
In a press briefing between the two leaders, Baghdad and Washington announced that US combat troops would withdraw from Iraq by September 30.
Zaidi was sworn in as premier in May this year, succeeding former prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. This came after the president had threatened to “cut off” Iraq completely if Nouri al-Maliki – a former Iraqi premier with ties to Iran – was re-elected.
Despite initially vowing to continue running, Maliki ended up withdrawing his candidacy. “Mark my words, I knew what I was doing,” Trump said as he sat near Zaidi in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
“This man is going to be a great leader … beyond Iraq. His influence is going to spread all throughout the [region],” he said, referring to Zaidi. Zaidi’s visit coincided with reports of a major escalation of US pressure tactics, aimed at forcing the Iraqi resistance to surrender its arms. Sources told the New Arab on Wednesday that Washington has “hardened its stance” against resistance factions in the country.
Trump: Soleimani—I killed him…a very bad person from Iraq happened to be killed in that same incident . So I don't know if I did you a favor or not. I've never asked you that question.
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 14, 2026
Iraq PM: I was not in politics…. I'd like to talk about the future pic.twitter.com/8GDvhUadTD
The Trump administration has adopted a significantly more coercive approach than its predecessors to disarming the Iraqi resistance, stepping up pressure on Baghdad in recent months to dismantle the resistance factions swiftly.
Washington reportedly froze security programs with Baghdad and blocked dollar shipments to the country earlier this year to pressure Iraq into dismantling Iran-backed resistance groups.
Late last month, Baghdad issued a 30 September deadline for the disarmament of all armed factions in Iraq, including resistance movements.
After months of heavy US pressure, some armed organizations have agreed to turn over weapons to the state. Many others, including resistance groups Kataib Hezbollah and Al-Nujaba Movement, have refused.
Iraqi resistance groups demand a full US withdrawal, rather than the “transitional” pullout agreed on between Washington and Baghdad, which will see Washington shift from a “combat” to an “advisory” role, while still retaining a military presence in the country.