US Issues 7 Demands… Maliki Won’t Back Down - Iraq Heading for a Dangerous Week?

February 21, 2026·32 min·2 clips

The US sent Iraq a seven-point diplomatic letter demanding the next Prime Minister reduce Iranian influence, bring PMU militias under state control, and combat money laundering benefiting Iran-aligned groups.

1. My FX Buddies covers Iraqi dinar investment news in an episode titled 'US Issues 7 Demands — Maliki Won't Back Down — Iraq Heading for a Dangerous Week.' 2. The host presents solo, reviewing articles and videos in a casual blog-and-screen-share format with 3,750 YouTube subscribers as of this recording. 3. The episode's central thread is the escalation of US pressure on Iraq's government formation, packaged as a seven-point diplomatic letter. 4. The US letter demands Iraq elect a Prime Minister who prioritizes Iraqi national interests over ties to Tehran, described as the first and overriding condition. 5. The letter also demands the PMU (Popular Mobilization Units) be brought fully under state control and that Iran-backed groups be excluded from cabinet and security apparatus positions. 6. The US demands also include combating money laundering tied to Iranian-aligned groups and cooperating with America on security and economic matters 'as a partner rather than a conduit for regional rivals.' 7. The letter calls for reforms promoting economic diversification away from oil dependency — a goal the host dismisses as aspirational, saying 'good luck with that.' 8. The host notes that some PMU-affiliated individuals reportedly ran for Iraqi parliamentary seats after being told to lay down arms and enter politics, meaning a significant share of parliament may have PMU backgrounds. 9. Coordination framework meetings about the Prime Minister selection were cancelled as 'pointless' because Maliki is not backing down, though one anonymous source hinted at a resolution in 'coming hours.' 10. Economist Nabil Marsumi, known in Iraq as 'the Pessimist,' warned that a full Strait of Hormuz closure would reduce Iraq's oil export capacity so severely that even at $150 per barrel, monthly revenues would drop from $7 billion to $1 billion. 11. At $1 billion per month, Iraq could cover only 14% of its salary obligations — a figure the host presents as a critical vulnerability in Iraq's fiscal position. 12. Senator Lindsey Graham's interview on Sky News Arabia, which the host notes may not have aired in the US, included his statement that he 'can't sleep' due to excitement about change in Iran coming 'in weeks not months.' 13. The US is reportedly considering limited strikes against Iranian military sites and, per later US officials cited in the episode, against locations where Iranian leaders 'live.' 14. Iran's state media has been telling Iranians that prolonged US-Iran negotiations represent an Iranian victory — a narrative the host and Graham both characterize as bragging. 15. Joshua Harris, described as a senior US diplomat, met with an Iraqi leader who 'does not exclusively support Maliki,' with the host expressing hope this signals further coalition erosion. 16. Iraq signed a strategic banking partnership with Germany focused on private sector financial integration, a move the host frames as evidence of foreign investor confidence despite political instability. 17. HP's Baghdad Game Lab partnership and a Canadian ice cream chain's Iraqi expansion are presented as further indicators of ongoing investment in Iraq. 18. The episode's tone is informal and discursive — the host digresses about her sons' video game habits, her preference for honey and lemon, and her sadness that three long-time dinar investors told her they are selling their currency. 19. Iraqi dinar investors monitoring geopolitical risk signals, particularly US-Iran tensions and Iraqi government formation, will find the most relevant content in the first half of the episode. 20. Listeners seeking structured financial analysis or neutral geopolitical reporting will find the format too informal and commentary-heavy.

As heard by us

A conversational Iraqi news scan that ties a Joshua Harris meeting, banking updates, and market scenes into one loose pass.

It follows Iraqi politics and banking with a clear eye for the moving parts, from the Joshua Harris meeting to Maliki, the strategic partnership between the Iraqi and German banking sectors, and the market scene at the end.

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Why you'd press play

You want Iraqi news, banking, and market scenes in one conversational pass.

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