Baghdad: When the United States swears in a new president, the media often makes bold predictions about what will be accomplished in the first 100 days. The momentum afforded by a national election, the excitement of a new president and the political capital he carries with him all set expectations high for the sprint out of the starting block.

According to Iraqi News Agency, in fall 2025, Iraq held elections, but it wasn’t until five months after the votes were counted that Iraq’s parliament selected a new president, who in turn appointed a prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi. Mr. al-Zaidi was then confirmed by a vote in parliament. The process took about 180 days. After the long process, the sense of urgency was palpable.

Many would tell you that in Iraq, 100 days are little more than a fleeting moment in the life of a state exhausted by crises, burdened by years of disputes, calculations and anxiety. It appears, however, they are enough for Iraqis and the world to realize that something has begun to seriously change in an early test of the direction of the state: Would Baghdad continue managing its crises, or would it begin managing its future?

In foreign policy, Mr. al-Zaidi did not wait long to place Iraq at the heart of the international equation. Washington was his first foreign destination, at the invitation of President Trump, in a visit that carried more than one message.

Iraq did not go to the United States merely to request security support, but rather to propose a new partnership centered on the economy, investment, energy, and infrastructure, and to build a relationship based not on crisis management, but on creating common interests.

Herein lies the importance of the visit: Iraq is moving away from its image as a country that only receives attention when a crisis erupts, towards the image of a country that offers opportunities for investment and partnership.

But the path to nation-building is not solely through economic means. Domestically, Mr. Al-Zaidi has opened one of the most sensitive files: the file of integrity and the recovery of public funds. While many governments around the world make promises to combat corruption, the new Iraqi government has pushed the Integrity Commission to intensify its audits and investigations into government contracts.

Many Iraqis were skeptical. They had heard these promises before. Then Operation Dawn came, sending a clear political and legal message: no one is above the law if they steal from the Iraqi people. As we say in the United States, no one is above the law. According to Iraqi media, at least 210 officials, members of parliament, employees, and businessmen were arrested between June 28 and August 9.

Over the past few days, headlines have included: ‘Iraq seizes another $26 million in cash and 60 kilograms of gold’ and ‘Iraqi electricity official arrested with millions of dollars in cash.’ It has become clear that the campaign is not merely a media stunt but a genuine effort. Mr. Al-Zaidi has also directed the establishment of a special account into which funds recovered from corruption cases will be deposited, to be used for the public good.

But the biggest challenge facing the new government of the Prime Minister may be the issue of weapons.

In a country where armed factions possess weapons and equipment of a military nature, it is well known that bringing weapons under state control is not an administrative decision that can be implemented with a signature or statement but rather a long and complex struggle linked to power balances that have been formed over the years.

As one of his government’s initiatives during the first 100 days, the al-Zaydi government chose to confront the problem directly and declared that the state should be the sole authority in security decisions.

Mr. Al-Zaidi stated clearly that Iraqi forces are capable of protecting the country, and that there will be no need for armed factions or foreign forces after September 30, stressing that the government is moving forward in regaining control of weapons and placing them under the authority of the state.

Here, the three main objectives intersect. Iraq, which wants to attract foreign investment, needs security. Iraq, which wants to recover its stolen funds, needs a strong judiciary and robust institutions. And Iraq, which wants to build balanced partnerships with the world, needs, above all, sovereign decision-making power that no other party can challenge.

It may be too early, after only 100 days, to declare that Iraq has changed, but it is not too early to say that Iraq’s direction is beginning to change. There is a huge difference between a government that spends its time putting out fires and a government that is at the same time trying to rebuild the house.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of these 100 days is that Mr. al-Zaidi did not treat them as a brief period to test the intentions, but rather as an opportunity to change the rules of the game. Foreign policy, combating corruption, and bringing weapons under state control are not separate issues; they are, in essence, a single battle aimed at restoring the state’s authority, prestige, and ability to act.

The mission is not yet complete, even after 100 days since the formation of the new government, but the path has been set. Iraq is speaking to Washington as a country seeking partnership and mutual interests, opening its doors to investment instead of limiting its relations to requests for aid, placing integrity institutions in direct confrontation with corruption, and clarifying on the issue of weapons that security decisions cannot be distributed among multiple centers of power.

Therefore, the correct question when evaluating the first 100 days of al-Zaidi’s government should be: Has Iraq moved closer to becoming the country its people want?

The final answer will require more time. But 100 days were enough to provide an unmistakable first indication: Iraq is no longer standing still. Iraqis have begun to manage their own country, and it is taking the initiative from within.

Perhaps the first 100 days of al-Zaidi’s government can be described as a declaration of a new beginning: an Iraq that wants to be its own decision-maker, the guardian of its security, the custodian of its public wealth, and a partner whose interests and standing are respected by others.