ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Sunday received a phone call from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during which the US top diplomat warned the Iraqi premier of the need to curb Iranian influence on the Baghdad government during the current cabinet formation process.

According to a readout attributed to the State Department’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott Secretary, Rubio and Sudani discussed ongoing efforts to form the next Iraqi government, “emphasizing their shared commitment to ensuring that Iraq can fully realize its potential as a force for stability, prosperity, and security in the Middle East.”

Iraq's ruling Shiite Coordination Framework on Saturday announced State of Law Coalition leader Nouri al-Maliki as its candidate for Iraq's prime minister position “by a majority vote.”

“The Secretary emphasized that a government controlled by Iran cannot successfully put Iraq’s own interests first, keep Iraq out of regional conflicts, or advance the mutually beneficial partnership between the United States and Iraq,”  the statement added.

The nomination of Maliki, who shares strong ties with Iran, has sparked controversy among the general public in Iraq considering how his previous two stints as prime minister. He stepped down during his second term in 2014 amid major security setbacks linked to the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) group and ongoing corruption allegations.

Washington has ramped up efforts to curb Tehran’s influence in Iraq, particularly by targeting Iran-backed militias as well as financial entities and networks who finance the militias and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

In early January, US Special Envoy for Iraq Mark Savaya stated that Washington will work alongside Baghdad to ensure that 2026 marks the end of militias, uncontrolled weapons, and plundering resources in Iraq.

Also during Sunday’s call, Rubio commended Baghdad’s “initiative and leadership in expediting the transfer and detention of ISIS terrorists to secure facilities in Iraq,“ amid the instability in Syria, with the two reviewing efforts to ensure countries expedite repatriating their nationals among the detainees so they stand trial.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday announced that it is in coordination with Baghdad to transfer some 7,000 ISIS prisoners from facilities in Syria to secure areas in Iraq, amid the uncertainties in the neighboring country.