Trump praises Iraq's new prime minister during White House talks

US President Donald Trump praised Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during White House talks on Tuesday, while Washington continued to press Baghdad to curb Iranian influence.

Trump hosted Zaidi, a businessman who came to power this year with US support after Trump vetoed another candidate. He called Zaidi a champion and said the Iraqi leader had been a strong supporter of the United States. Trump also said he decided to hold an unscheduled lunch with Zaidi because of what he described as strong chemistry between them.

The visit came during renewed military escalation between the United States and Iran. Washington and Tehran are Iraq's main allies, and the source report said they have long fought a proxy struggle over the country.

Zaidi has promised to strengthen Iraq's fragile economy and disarm pro-Iran armed groups that have targeted US facilities. He said he would not accept armed groups outside state control once US forces leave Iraq on September 30, when the US-led anti-jihadist coalition mission ends. Zaidi said American forces would leave on that date and American companies would enter Iraq, adding that after September 30 no entity outside the state would be allowed to bear arms.

Zaidi arrived in Washington on Monday for his first foreign visit since taking office. The week-long trip is also expected to include meetings with US officials and representatives of oil companies.

Trump suggested that oil agreements with Iraq were likely. He said the two countries would do many deals, create jobs in both countries and take out a lot of oil.

Zaidi still faces a difficult balance between Washington and Tehran. A senior Iraqi politician, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that even if the current government follows a more US-friendly path and gives priority to the economy, it does not mean Iraq is turning against Iran.

Some armed groups have said they will cooperate with Zaidi, while others continue to reject disarmament. The report said Iraq's pro-Iran armed groups have grown in political and financial influence over the years and have long demanded the withdrawal of US troops deployed as part of the anti-jihadist coalition. During the Middle East war, they intervened in support of Tehran and targeted US facilities in Iraq more than 600 times.

Iraq has been trying to move beyond decades of war and unrest, but the report said it still faces weak infrastructure, poor public services, mismanagement and endemic corruption. Trump, who has long opposed the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, said Washington had attacked the wrong country, implying that it should have invaded Iran instead.

Iraq has recently signed several deals with US companies in the oil and gas sector. More agreements are expected during Zaidi's US visit, including one to create a fund into which Iraq would deposit half a million barrels of oil per day in exchange for help improving electricity supply.

The report said Iraq, a founding member of OPEC, was heavily affected by the Middle East war. The country depends strongly on oil exports, which make up about 90 percent of its budget revenue, and most of its crude travels through the disputed Strait of Hormuz.