READOUT: Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent's Meeting with Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq Ali Al-Zaidi

What this means

In a July 16, 2026 readout, Treasury said Secretary Scott Bessent had met Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi earlier that week. Bessent congratulated Al-Zaidi on his designation and discussed the Treasury–Iraq–Central Bank of Iraq partnership on illicit finance and financial-sector development. He emphasized coordination concerning Iran and continued security and economic cooperation.

Official release

Source material from U.S. Secretary of the Treasury · Readouts. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent met with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi. Secretary Bessent congratulated Prime Minister Al-Zaidi on his recent designation as Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq and reaffirmed the longstanding partnership among the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Government of Iraq, and the Central Bank of Iraq to combat illicit finance and strengthen Iraq’s financial sector.

Secretary Bessent emphasized the importance of close coordination with the Trump Administration to counter the threat posed by Iran. The Secretary also underscored Treasury’s support for the Government of Iraq’s efforts to deliver prosperity and freedom for the Iraqi people and reaffirmed continued cooperation to advance the shared security and economic interests of the United States and Iraq.

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Release text attributed to U.S. Secretary of the Treasury · Readouts. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.