Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi pledged to prioritize American investment, direct Iraqi oil toward the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), and “disarm militias” by September 30, according to pre-broadcast excerpts shared by journalist Hadley Gamble.
On energy, al-Zaidi stated that 500,000 barrels per day of Iraqi crude will be allocated to replenishing the US SPR, the emergency stockpile maintained by the United States government. He also indicated that Iraq could suspend its membership in OPEC if the group continues to restrict Iraq from producing oil in line with its actual production capabilities.
Regarding governance, al-Zaidi committed to "suffocating" corruption through an open and transparent bidding process for all government contracts.
*EXCLUSIVE* interview with Iraq’s new Prime Minister in Baghdad. He tells me: US companies will be given top priority investing in Iraq500k bpd of Iraqi oil will go toward replenishing the US SPRIraq will consider “suspending” its membership in OPEC if barred from producing… pic.twitter.com/Zc2ixja0W8
— Hadley Gamble (@_HadleyGamble) June 24, 2026
The September 30 deadline for “militia disarmament” coincides with the scheduled withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, a timeline established under a bilateral security agreement between Baghdad and Washington.
Read more: A guide to Ali Al-Zaidi's ministerial program
Al-Zaidi, a businessman and political newcomer, was sworn in as Prime Minister on May 14, 2026, after parliament approved 14 of his 23 proposed ministers, following a months-long political deadlock resolved when the Coordination Framework, Iraq's largest Shia parliamentary bloc, nominated him as a consensus candidate.
The full interview is scheduled to broadcast on June 25, 2026.
Read more: How the US pushed Iraq's armed factions toward disarmament