With the approval of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, for the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki, a senior figure in Iraq’s SCF, to assume the post of prime minister for a third term, questions have intensified over how the United States might respond to this.

As Trump threatens to strike Iran if the authorities move to kill protesters, Tehran has relied on Iraqi militias loyal to it to help suppress demonstrations that erupted across the country on December 28, 2025, sparked by a sharp economic downturn.

Trump’s pullback from striking Iran exposed the regime’s resilience while he continued calling for a change in leadership.

Since the protests erupted, Iran’s leadership has leveled direct accusations at the United States, accusing it for what officials describe as riots sweeping the country.

As the Iranian regime grapples with mounting internal pressures, the prospect of its collapse is becoming increasingly plausible.