Trump says Iraq more friendly after US attacks on Iran
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in June curbed Tehran's regional dominance and rendered Iraq more friendly to the United States.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in June curbed Tehran's regional dominance and rendered Iraq more friendly to the United States.
“Iraq has been a much different place since we hit them with those B-2 bombers and knocked out and obliterated Iran’s nuclear capability," Trump told reporters at a cabinet meeting in the White House.
“Iran has gone down many, many steps … they’re really not the bully of the Middle East anymore,” Trump said. "I will tell you, Iraq has been a much friendlier place. They talk to us."
He was responding to a question from an Iraqi Kurdish journalist about a rocket attack on Thursday at Khor Mor gas field in the region which halted production for four days. No casualties were reported in the attack, which local officials blamed on Iran-backed militias.
The United States launched surprise strikes on three key Iranian nuclear sites on June 22, in attacks Trump has repeatedly said "obliterated" Tehran's capabilities.
"I saved a lot of lives," Trump continued, "Iraq nominated us for the Nobel Prize, and that was great honor. We didn't expect that from Iraq. Iraq has been a much different place since the taking out of Iran, the nuclear capability.”
Emerging from years of civil war which followed a US invasion in 2003, Baghdad is caught between the competing influence of Tehran and Washington.
US envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya condemned the gas field attack as the work of “armed groups operating illegally and driven by hostile foreign agendas.”
Kurdish authorities have frequently accused armed groups aligned with Tehran of targeting energy infrastructure to pressure the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and undermine US-linked projects.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned the attack as “an assault on all of Iraq” and said a joint investigation with Kurdish authorities would be launched.
In a letter addressed to Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, 155 members of parliament said the judiciary had become passive in applying regulations on Islamic dress and public behavior.
They urged the courts to “restore governance” by ensuring that all state bodies enforce existing rules while the government’s postponed hijab law remains under review.
“The judiciary cannot remain passive toward failures by executive bodies,” the lawmakers wrote, accusing some judges and officials of “negligence” that had allowed “moral decline” and “social abnormalities” to spread.
The lawmakers urged action on the Chastity and Hijab law—formally called the Law on Protection of the Family Through Promotion of Chastity and Hijab—which was approved by parliament but has yet to be sent to the government for implementation.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has faced mounting criticism from hardline lawmakers who accuse him of withholding the legislation.
Tehran MP Kamran Ghazanfari on Tuesday said Ghalibaf had refused to finalize the law since September last year, calling the delay a violation of his legal duty.
“This means obstructing the implementation of a Quranic and divine command,” he told parliament, accusing the speaker of “ignoring repeated calls” from clerics and legislators and allowing “immodesty and corruption” to spread.
Government signals caution
Also on Tuesday, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said ministries have submitted periodic reports on the status of hijab enforcement to President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“The hijab report has been delivered on time to the president and the Supreme Leader, and action will be taken to curb organized movements,” she said, adding that each ministry provides updates according to its responsibilities within specific time frames.
Supreme leader’s directive
Tensions rose further last week when a leaked audio file suggested Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had issued a written order to step up enforcement of Islamic dress codes after reviewing an intelligence ministry report warning of “erosion of discipline.”
Officials later confirmed the directive but denied any dispute within the cabinet. Conservative outlets described it as an “explicit call for decisive action” against violations of the hijab law.
Despite growing pressure, many women and girls continue to appear unveiled in public. The Associated Press reported last week that uncovered women were seen walking freely in Tehran’s markets, metro stations and schools, often without interference from police.
Analysts say authorities are wary of large-scale crackdowns that could reignite unrest. “The scale of disobedience is unprecedented,” said Iran analyst Holly Dagres. “Another coercive campaign could spark protests they cannot contain.”
Iranian media last week reported police raided a film star’s home in Tehran, detaining more than 20 people and seizing homemade alcohol – contraband under Iranian law – with several attendees later freed on undertakings or bail.
“In today’s Iran, no one outside the ruling inner circle is safe from state intrusion—even as officials enjoy lavish parties of their own, laying bare the hypocrisy behind what they call upholding values... While officials claim to defend Islamic values, their real objective is absolute control over society,” read the post.
Authorities frequently announce closures and arrests tied to alcohol, mixed-gender events or dress-code enforcement as part of broader morality crackdowns, according to state-aligned and independent outlets.
Panahi – one of Iran’s most acclaimed directors and a recent Palme d’Or winner at Cannes – has faced recurring curbs on his work and movement over the past decade.
Alcohol has been banned in Iran since 1979, with violations punishable by fines, lashings or prison, and tougher penalties for production and distribution.
Publicized raids on cafés and private venues have increased in recent years, while rights groups and local officials periodically report poisonings from unregulated liquor in the underground market.
Iranian officials say strict enforcement upholds Islamic norms and deters smuggling; critics argue decades of prohibition have pushed consumption into riskier, unregulated channels.
