Maliki: I Will Not Withdraw My Candidacy and Iraq's Weapons Must Be in the Hands of the State

Nouri al-Maliki, the candidate for the Iraqi government presidency, confirmed that he will not withdraw from his candidacy despite tensions with the U.S. administration, emphasizing the importance of centralizing weapons in the hands of the state to achieve military power centralization.

Centralizing Weapons and Unifying the Army

In an interview with "France Press," Maliki stated: "We want a single army under one command, and a conference directly ordered by the state, without multiple management of the existing weapons." He added that this step is necessary to ensure the stability of the country and the security of embassies in Iraq.

Foreign Relations

Maliki confirmed that the relationship with Washington is essential for the advancement of Iraq, and that cooperation with Iran is based on mutual interests, while committing to not allowing any violations against embassies.

Context of the Crisis

Maliki's remarks come after warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump, who described his candidacy as "a very bad option" and threatened to cut support for Iraq if he returns to power.