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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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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 \u2013 with US support at the time \u2013 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<\/a> That Iraqis “categorically reject this blatant American intervention.”<\/p>\n