What Zaidi's Washington visit means for US investment in Iraq
Iraq could greatly benefit from US investment in gas capture, which could help reduce the country's dependence on neighboring Iran.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi wrapped up his first official visit to Washington on Friday with a flurry of energy agreements and talks with potential investors, pitching Iraq as a destination for US capital as the Trump administration seeks to deepen ties with Baghdad and reduce Iraq's dependence on Iran.
Zaidi met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday and members of Congress on Capitol Hill on Wednesday before traveling to Houston, where he held talks Thursday with executives from Halliburton, Shell, Baker Hughes and ExxonMobil, among others. On Friday, he participated in a forum hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce and will depart for Baghdad on Saturday.
The visit has already produced tangible results. ConocoPhillips announced on Friday that it had agreed to acquire a 42% stake in the BP Energy Company of Kirkuk Limited as part of a project to develop oil fields in northern Iraq. Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Chevron also expects to sign agreements with Baghdad to invest in oil fields and pipeline infrastructure that would allow Iraqi crude exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
Whereas previous meetings between American and Iraqi leaders since the 2003 US-led invasion centered largely on security cooperation, Zaidi has framed his trip as an economic mission. In a July 13 post on X, Zaidi's office said the visit is aimed at strengthening economic US-Iraqi ties, attracting investment and expanding the role of US companies in infrastructure projects.
