US President Donald Trump has warned that Washington would cease supporting Iraq if former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki returns to power, he wrote on his social media platform late on January 27.

Trump criticised close-to-Iran al-Maliki's previous tenure from 2006 to 2014, claiming Iraq "descended into poverty and total chaos" under his leadership, which was one of the bloodiest periods in Iraq's recent history and comes at a critical juncture as Tehran faces off again against Washington and Tel Aviv.

"Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq," Trump wrote, adding that without American assistance, Iraq has "ZERO chance of Success, Prosperity, or Freedom."

The statement comes amid ongoing political manoeuvring in Baghdad, though no formal announcement regarding al-Maliki's candidacy for prime minister has been made by Iraqi political blocs.

Al-Maliki, who leads the State of Law Coalition, has remained an influential figure in Iraqi politics despite stepping down as prime minister in 2014 following the rise of the Islamic State group and widespread criticism of his sectarian governance style.

Trump, who won the 2024 presidential election and is set to return to the White House on January 20, has previously advocated for reduced US military engagement in the Middle East while maintaining influence over regional allies.

Earlier, Iraq and other regional and international mediators have made maximum efforts to resume dialogue between Iran and the United States to prevent further escalation, but their efforts have not yet produced the desired results.

Sources in Iran's foreign ministry told Iraqi media that "intensive diplomatic manoeuvres are underway behind the scenes to contain the growing escalation of tensions between Tehran and Washington and resume negotiations between them." However, these efforts "have not led to tangible progress," the sources acknowledged.

Communication channels, "both direct and through regional and international mediators, remain open, but significant differences in the positions of the parties [Iran and the US] persist, which reduces the chances of reaching agreements at the current stage," Baghdad Today reported.

Sources told the portal the coming days will be decisive in determining whether mediators succeeded "in opening a window for the start of real negotiations, or [whether it will be limited to] good intentions and futile attempts to re-establish contacts between representatives of Iran and the United States."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously explained that the US demands Iran completely abandon its enriched uranium stockpiles, impose serious restrictions on its missile programme, and significantly reduce Tehran's support for its "allies in the region."

The Iranian minister noted such demands are "not subject to discussion," and Iran "will not accept any agreement encroaching on the sovereignty or defence capability of the Islamic Republic."