U.S. Intensifies Coercion in Iraq to Install Pro-American Government

BAGHDAD (KI) -- The United States’ interference in Iraq has entered a brazen new phase, as Mark Sawaya, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, issues threats aimed at destabilizing the country unless Baghdad installs a government loyal to Washington. 

Iraqi politicians and analysts warn that the U.S. no longer pretends to respect Iraqi sovereignty. Its only concern is ensuring a government that serves American corporate and geopolitical interests.
Former Iraqi parliamentarian Hassan Fad’am said bluntly that the U.S. is pushing for a government that protects its projects and profits, indifferent to who officially holds the prime ministership. In other words, Iraq’s political future is dictated from Washington, where loyalty to U.S. agendas matters more than the will of the Iraqi people.
Political analyst Qasim al-Tamimi revealed that Sawaya explicitly threatened to inflame Iraq’s security situation if the next government does not follow U.S. directives—especially in distancing itself from Iran or groups opposing American influence. 
These threats are particularly alarming given Sawaya’s controversial past: before becoming a diplomat, he owned and operated a marijuana dispensary in the United States. 
Critics argue that his history as a profiteer and entrepreneur in a questionable business reflects a pattern of prioritizing personal and commercial gain over ethics or legitimacy, now projected onto Iraq’s fragile political landscape.
Sawaya’s intimidation targets Iraq’s Coordination Framework and other political leaders, pressuring them to select a U.S.-friendly prime minister. This coercive approach strips Iraq of meaningful autonomy, demonstrating that American “support” is a cover for control, manipulation, and neo-imperial interference.
Even as the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) closes after 22 years, Iraq’s sovereignty remains under siege. While the UN’s departure is framed as a normalization of relations, the reality is that Washington continues to dictate outcomes, ensuring that Iraq’s political institutions operate in line with U.S. interests rather than those of its citizens.
Iraqis face a stark choice: acquiesce to foreign dictates or risk engineered instability. Sawaya’s threats, combined with his questionable background, underscore that U.S. influence is not about aid or partnership—it is about domination, resource extraction, and the subjugation of Iraq’s political future. 
What Trump and his special envoy want is a country that, decades after the 2003 invasion, remains a de facto American vassal.