President Donald Trump on Tuesday gave Iraq's new Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, a warm welcome at the White House, praising the "tremendous chemistry" between them and expressing confidence that the businessman-turned-politician would become an influential leader in the Middle East.

Al-Zaidi emerged as a consensus candidate after months of political deadlock following last year's parliamentary elections. Trump had backed his candidacy, warning that Washington could withdraw support for Iraq if another contender became prime minister.

"This man is going to be a great leader in the Middle East, beyond Iraq," Trump said during their Oval Office meeting. "His influence is going to spread all throughout the Middle East."

Speaking through an interpreter, al-Zaidi said he brought greetings from the "oldest civilisation in the world" and that his visit would focus on launching a new economic partnership between Iraq and the United States.

Iran featured prominently in the talks, with Washington pressing Baghdad to disarm Iran-backed militias operating in Iraq. While the Iraqi government has set a September 30 deadline for non-state armed groups to disarm, several powerful militias have rejected the demand.

Al-Zaidi said there would be "no justification" for the militias to continue operating after the deadline. A senior Trump administration official said the United States would judge Iraq's progress on disarmament before deciding on future policy.

Analysts say Trump and al-Zaidi have developed a rapport because of their shared backgrounds as wealthy businessmen with no prior political experience. Some observers have even dubbed al-Zaidi the "Trump of the Middle East", although experts caution that he remains constrained by Iraq's complex political system and Iran-aligned factions.

Al-Zaidi avoided commenting on Trump's 2020 order to kill Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, saying only: "At that time, I wasn't involved in politics. Let's talk about the future."

The two sides are also expected to deepen energy cooperation. Iraqi officials said Iraq, US firms Chevron and TI Capital, and Qatar's UCC are expected to sign an agreement on Friday to build a major oil pipeline linking Basra with western Iraq before extending to Turkey's Ceyhan port and Syria's Baniyas port. The pipeline is expected to transport around 2 million barrels of oil a day.

Although neither leader discussed the project publicly, Trump said Iraq had "tremendous potential" because of its oil resources.

Al-Zaidi's visit also comes as he seeks to strengthen his anti-corruption credentials. Since taking office, his government has launched raids and arrested dozens of current and former officials accused of corruption.

According to his office, the Washington visit aims to strengthen economic and development partnerships, attract investment, expand the role of US companies in infrastructure projects, and further develop Iraq's energy sector.