Nouri al-Maliki Warns Syria Is “Under Foreign Control” as Middle East Tensions Deepen

Baghdad- Former Iraqi Prime Minister and leading political figure Nouri al-Maliki has issued a sharp warning over Syria’s future, claiming the country is now effectively under Turkish and Israeli influence and questioning the legitimacy of its current leadership.

‎In remarks circulated by regional media, al-Maliki said Syria is being governed by figures he described as “terrorists who were once imprisoned in Iraq,” arguing that such groups lack the credibility and capacity to rule a nation as ethnically and religiously diverse as Syria. He warned that external control and militant politics could further destabilise the country and the wider region.
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‎Al-Maliki’s comments come amid fast-moving developments across the Middle East. The region has seen renewed diplomatic maneuvering over Syria’s political transition, shifting alliances involving Turkey, Iran, Israel, and Arab states, and ongoing security flare-ups that have raised fears of a broader confrontation. Analysts say competing foreign interests in Syria continue to complicate efforts toward a durable settlement after years of war.
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‎Regional observers note that Iraq is closely watching events next door, given the spillover risks of militancy, refugee flows, and cross-border insecurity. Al-Maliki’s intervention reflects growing concern among Iraqi political leaders that instability in Syria could once again threaten Iraq’s own fragile security balance.
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‎Despite international calls for dialogue and reconstruction, Syria remains divided, with questions over sovereignty, governance, and foreign military presence still unresolved. Al-Maliki’s remarks add to an increasingly vocal regional debate over who should shape Syria’s future and how lasting stability can be achieved in the Middle East.
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