Iraq’s president on Monday named a businessman as prime minister and tasked him with forming a new government, after a month-long delay in selecting a candidate amid conflicting pressures from Iran and the United States.
In a statement announcing Ali al-Zaidi’s selection, President Nizar Amedee said the constitutional process “cannot afford further delay.” Mr al-Zaidi was put forward for the role earlier in the day by the Coordination Framework, a coalition of Iraqi Shia political parties.
“We call on all political forces to support him and cooperate in carrying out this constitutional and national process in a way that serves Iraq and its people,” Mr Amedee said.
Mr. al-Zaidi’s selection follows months of tension over the formation of a new government in Iraq, which has been of interest to both Iran and the United States. Iraq maintains close relations with both countries and has often found itself caught between them, especially in recent months.
In Iraq’s elections in November, the country’s most powerful Shia political faction won a majority of votes and nominated former Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki to lead parliament.
In January, President Trump threatened to withdraw US support for Iraq if Mr al-Maliki returned as prime minister. He was first elected prime minister in 2006 – with US support at the time – but during his two four-year terms he became increasingly seen as at odds with Iran. In response, Mr al-Maliki said in a social media Post That Iraqis “categorically reject this blatant American intervention.”
The US-Israeli attack on Iran in late February was followed by retaliatory Iranian attacks in the Persian Gulf, increasing pressure on Iraqi officials to choose a side. Iranian-aligned militias in Iraq joined the fighting, angering the United States.
Last week, Hussein Allawi, a security adviser to Iraq’s current prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, told the New York Times that the United States had suspended support for Iraq’s security services until a new government is formed. An Iraqi Defense Ministry official said US cooperation and funding has been put on hold until further notice due to recent attacks on US interests in Iraq by Iranian-backed militias.
The United States has also suspended air shipments of dollars to Iraq, according to two senior Iraqi officials, blocking the flow of money Iraq earns from its oil sales. The suspension was part of a campaign to force the Baghdad government to distance itself from Iran.
Mr al-Maliki withdrew his candidacy for the role of prime minister, as did Mr al-Sudaini, according to a statement from the Coordination Framework, which praised his “responsible and historic stance” on Monday.
“This step underlines his commitment to supreme national interests, helps overcome the political impasse and allows the coordination framework to select a candidate who meets the necessary qualifications for the post of prime minister and is suited to the demands and challenges of this phase,” the group said.
Mr al-Zaidi is a businessman with interests in finance and media and has no public political career. According to Iraqi news media. In a statement after being elected, he promised to work with all parties to form a government that meets the needs of the people. Iraqi state media reported.
Now he has 30 days to form the cabinet and present it for parliamentary approval.
king abdulrahim And Erica Solomon Contributed to the reporting.
