The Iraqi Foreign Ministry rebuked a threat by US Congressman Mike Waltz to designate Faiq Zidan, head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), as a “tool of Iranian influence” in Iraq.
In a statement released on Saturday, the ministry called Waltz’s remarks “a blatant interference in Iraqi internal affairs.”
On Thursday, Waltz retweeted a US media report indicating his plans to label the SJC and its president, Zidan, as “Iranian-controlled assets” through a legislative amendment.
The Iraqi ministry emphasized that any attempt to influence the judiciary undermines the core principles of the Iraqi state, which are crucial for justice, equality, and national stability.
Iraqi parliament’s Acting Speaker Mohsen al-Mandalawi asserted that Iraq, as a sovereign nation, bases its international relations on mutual respect.
He warned that if the proposed law is passed, it would mark a dangerous shift that could adversely impact Iraq-US relations.
