Iran’s Iraq Racket: Baghdad’s New Prime Minister Under Scrutiny as Tehran’s Financial Lifeline
Wait, Iraq just entered the Iran War? Yes, to aid Iran in its attempt to avoid sanctions. As Iraq scrambles to emerge from months of political paralysis, the sudden elevation of businessman Ali Al-Zaidi to prime minister raises deeper questions about who truly holds power in Baghdad—and, more importantly, Tehran’s expanding shadow over it. Col. Wesley Martin, one-time Commander at Camp Ashraf, knows these dynamics better than anyone. He worked with the MEK in the war in Iraq more than 20 years ago.
- Al-Zaidi backed by Iran-aligned Coordination Framework factions
- Business empire tied to sanctioned Iraqi financial networks
- Lacks political experience despite rapid elevation to premiership
- Reflects entrenched system prioritizing alliances over electoral legitimacy
- Raises concerns over expanding Iranian influence in Baghdad
NCRI Speakers Available:
Alireza Jafarzadeh: Deputy Director of NCRI
Shahin Gobadi: Member of NCRI Parliament in Exile
Ali Safavi: Member of NCRI Parliament in Exile
Dr. Kazem Kazerounian: Iranian American Engineer
Shirin Nariman: Former Political Prisoner in Iran
Homeira Hesami: Former Political Prisoner in Iran
Col. Wesley Martin (Ret): Worked with MEK at Camp Ashraf
Senator Robert Torricelli: Former U.S. Senator
Ambassador Robert Joseph: Special Envoy Nuclear Nonproliferation
**Other Speakers, to include former Political Prisoners in Iran available upon request**
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE NCRI WEBSITE
The NCRI is sounding the alarm, warning that Al-Zaidi’s rise is not a sign of reform, but further evidence of Iran’s entrenched influence over Iraq’s political system. Multiple NCRI experts are available to discuss the implications, with a particular focus on retired U.S. Army Colonel Wes Martin, a leading authority on Iranian proxy networks and regional security threats.
Ashraf Commander Knows the Region
Colonel Martin knows the region, thanks to his time as Commanding Officer at Camp Ashraf. He argues that Al-Zaidi’s emergence as a so-called “compromise candidate” fits a familiar pattern: Tehran-backed factions consolidating control behind the scenes while presenting a technocratic or outsider face to the public. Martin didn’t just know Ashraf. While at Camp Ashraf, he got to know the MEK and provides a much different take that State Department history delivers. Despite lacking formal political experience, Al-Zaidi maintains deep ties to powerful Shiite blocs aligned with Iran, as well as financial connections that have already drawn scrutiny from U.S. authorities.
According to Martin, this isn’t a reset, it’s a rebrand. What we’re seeing is the evolution of Iran’s strategy: less overt militia dominance, more economic and political infiltration. The result is the same—Iraq drifting further into Tehran’s orbit. Of course, the elephant in the room is that the removal of Saddam Hussein more than 20 years ago has facilitated this effort.
The concerns extend beyond politics. Al-Zaidi’s business empire intersects with sectors long plagued by corruption, including banking systems previously flagged for sanctions violations tied to Iran. At a time when Iraq faces economic strain, reduced oil exports, and internal instability, NCRI experts warn that this leadership shift could deepen systemic corruption and further empower Iran-backed militias operating inside the country.
The broader geopolitical stakes are significant. With tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalating and critical supply routes like the Strait of Hormuz under pressure, Iraq’s leadership will play a pivotal role in regional stability. Yet NCRI analysts argue that Washington risks underestimating how deeply Tehran has embedded itself within Iraq’s governing structure.
In addition to Colonel Martin, NCRI representatives can provide insight into how this development fits into Iran’s broader regional strategy, including its use of proxy governments, economic leverage, and political patronage to expand influence across the Middle East.
As Iraq’s new prime minister-designate begins the 30-day process of forming a government, the question is no longer just whether he can unify Iraq—but whether Iraq’s sovereignty itself is slipping further out of reach.
Relevant Article(s):
Trump gives his blessing to Iraq’s new pick for prime minister and invites him to Washington
Iraq appoints businessman Ali Al-Zaidi as prime minister
OPTIONAL Q&A:
- What does Ali Al-Zaidi’s sudden rise reveal about who truly holds power in Iraq today?
- How does his selection as a “compromise candidate” reflect Iran’s influence within the Coordination Framework?
- What concerns arise from Al-Zaidi’s business ties to Iraq’s banking sector and past sanctions scrutiny?
- Is Iraq moving toward technocratic reform—or deeper entrenchment of elite, unelected power networks?
- How do Iran-backed militias factor into the formation and stability of the next Iraqi government?
- What risks does this leadership shift pose for U.S.–Iraq relations and regional security?
- Can Iraq realistically address corruption and economic instability under this new leadership?
- What does Al-Zaidi’s nomination signal about Iran’s broader strategy across the Middle East?
ABOUT ALIREZA JAFARZADEH…
Alireza Jafarzadeh serves as the Deputy Director of the Washington Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). He is also the author of The Iran Threat (Palgrave MacMillan, New York, 2008).
A recognized expert on Iranian policy, Jafarzadeh has been at the forefront of efforts to prevent the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons. His groundbreaking work in 2002 and 2003 led to the discovery of key illicit nuclear sites in Iran, including the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, the Arak heavy water plant, the Kalaye Electric centrifuge testing facility near Tehran, and the Lashkar Ab’ad laser enrichment facility. These revelations prompted the first-ever inspections of Iranian nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Jafarzadeh is a frequent guest on major television and radio networks, including CBS Evening News, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and France 24. His insights have also been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Time, and The Hill.
ABOUT SHAHIN GOBADI…
Shahin Gobadi, a U.S.-educated nuclear engineer, is a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Iran’s Parliament-in-Exile.
An astute observer of Iranian affairs for over three decades, Gobadi is an expert on topics including Iranian state-sponsored terrorism, proxy groups in the Middle East, the Iranian nuclear and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, Western policy toward Iran, and internal Iranian affairs.
He has been interviewed by major international media outlets, including CNN, Fox News, BBC, Sky TV, GB News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Reuters, and the Associated Press. Gobadi’s writings have appeared in prominent media across the U.S. and Europe.
ABOUT ALI SAFAVI…
Ali Safavi is a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Iran’s Parliament-in-Exile.
A sociologist by training, Safavi studied and taught at UCLA, California State University Los Angeles, and the University of Michigan. He was an active participant in the anti-Shah student movement in the 1970s in the United States and has been deeply engaged in Iranian affairs ever since.
Safavi has lectured and written extensively on Iran, Iraq, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and Middle Eastern politics. He has appeared in interviews on networks such as CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CBS, BBC, Sky TV, Newsmax, and France 24. His articles and commentary have been published in leading outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, The Boston Herald, The Washington Times, and The Financial Times.
ABOUT DR. KAZEM KAZEROUNIAN…
Dr. Kazem Kazerounian is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Connecticut and served as Dean of the College of Engineering from 2012 to 2024.
A passionate advocate for democracy and human rights, Dr. Kazerounian is also an expert on Iran and the Middle East, particularly regarding the Iranian nuclear issue, and human rights situation in Iran. He has contributed widely through scholarly articles, invited talks, and media interviews on regional affairs and the democratic movement in Iran.
Nationally, he has held leadership roles with ASEE and ASME, shaping engineering policy and education. His honors include the ASME Mechanisms and Robotics Award, AIMBE Fellowship, and induction into the Connecticut Academy of Science & Engineering.
An ASME Fellow, his research spans kinematics, robotics, and biomechanics. He has authored over 160 scholarly works and co-founded AcademicKeys.com and AcademicJournal.com, a professional platform and an online journal for academics.
At one point, while Shirin Nariman was a young political prisoner in Iran, she was tortured and buried up to her neck. Today, she is a human rights advocate, and entrepreneur residing in the U.S.
At just 15 years old, during the 1979 Iranian Revolution, she became involved in pro-democracy activities and supported the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI). Less than two years later, she was arrested for her activism—becoming one of the youngest political prisoners of her time and enduring severe torture in Evin Prison. Her case drew international attention and intervention from the Red Cross.
During her imprisonment, Shirin witnessed the regime’s brutality firsthand, including the executions of children, elderly women, and pregnant prisoners. After her release, she eventually sought refuge in the United States, where she has dedicated her life to advocating for human rights, women’s rights, and a free, democratic, non-nuclear Iran.
Shirin holds a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and has worked with leading wireless and financial corporations.
ABOUT HOMEIRA HESAMI…
Homeira Hesami was born in 1966 in Iran. At age 16, she graduated from high school with honors but was denied acceptance to Iranian universities due to her political beliefs and activism. Her activism forced her to spend a significant period of time in prison in Iran as a teenager. She was eventually able to immigrate to the United States, where she pursued her education further, obtaining both her Master’s from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.
She has remained active in the political scene to help establish a free, democratic, secular, and non-nuclear Iran. Homeira was a member of the Iranian American Women’s Delegation that attended the World Conferences on Women in Beijing in 1995. She has spoken at the University of Virginia to educate students about the current plight of women in Iran. She has also spoken at The National Convention of Iranian Americans in Washington, D.C., as well as the Texas Convention of Iranian Leaders in Houston, TX. She is married with two children, and working as a medical physicist in Irving, Texas.
ABOUT COL. WESLEY MARTIN…
During his combat tours he served as the senior Antiterrorism/Force Protection Officer for all coalition forces in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom 1 and 2, as Senior Operations Officer for Task Force 134 (Detention Operations), and as Commander of Forward Operating Base Ashraf, working with the Iranian Mujahedin (MEK / NCRI).
As the Antiterrorism Officer in Iraq, Colonel Martin’s “lead from the front, and spend as much time outside the perimeter as possible” style of leadership resulted in blocking Al Qaeda from killing the moderate Shia Grand Ayatollah Sistani and blowing up the Baghdad doctors’ convention. He also prevented the theft of over one thousand Cobalt 60 radioactive sources and an attack on the Baghdad trade fair.
As a captain he served in Field Command, Defense Nuclear Agency as a security inspector of U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force commands throughout the free world. More can be found at www.colonelwesmartin.com
ABOUT ROBERT TORRICELLI…
Senator Robert Torricelli served 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 9th district of New Jersey until January 1997, when he was elected as Democratic Senator from the state of New Jersey. While in the Congress, he was the leading voice for a free Iran and has been advocate of a free and democratic Iran for the past three decades.
In 1999, he joined the Democratic Leadership as the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Senator Torricelli served in the House Foreign Affairs Committee as the chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.
Senator Torricelli earned his law degree from Rutgers University and completed a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Before becoming a member of the U.S. Congress, Torricelli served as associate counsel to then-Vice President Walter Mondale.
ABOUT AMBASSADOR ROBERT JOSEPH…
Ambassador Robert Joseph was the United States Special Envoy for Nuclear Nonproliferation. Prior to this post, Joseph was the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, a position he held until January 24, 2007. He was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Proliferation Strategy at the White House.
Ambassador Joseph is known for being instrumental in creating the Proliferation Security Initiative and as the architect of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. He was also the US chief negotiator to Libya in 2003 who convinced Qaddafi to give up Libya’s WMD programs.
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