President Donald Trump is set to welcome Iraq's new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, to the White House on Tuesday after championing the political newcomer for the country's top job — despite al-Zaidi previously chairing a bank swept up in a U.S.-backed crackdown over alleged financial flows to Iran.
Before entering politics, al-Zaidi chaired Al-Janoob Islamic Bank, one of several Iraqi banks that the country's central bank barred in 2024 from conducting U.S. dollar transactions. The restrictions followed pressure from Washington to curb money laundering and prevent funds from reaching Iran through Iraq's banking system.