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2d ago

Iraq’s PM-Designate Ali al-Zaidi Courts Kurdish Support as 30-Day Clock Starts

U.S. endorsement plus UAE outreach signals outside backing as he seeks a cabinet that can win parliament’s confidence.

New Iraqi Prime Minister designate Ali al-Zaidi, uses a phone at his office in Baghdad, Iraq, April 28, 2026. Iraqi Prime Minister’s Media Office/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
Iraq's prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, at Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's office on April 28, 2026.
President Sheikh Mohamed greets Nechirvan Barzani, President of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, in Abu Dhabi. Photo: UAE Presidential Court
Prime Minister Seeks Two-Week Extension, Urges Hormuz Reopening

Overview

  • Al-Zaidi, who was tapped on Monday, has 30 days to present a cabinet that needs 167 votes in parliament.
  • He traveled to Erbil to win Kurdish backing, with regional leaders pressing for budget shares, federal recognition, and a plan for disputed territories.
  • The U.S. president phoned Thursday to congratulate him, invited him to Washington after a government is formed, and hailed a “new chapter” in ties.
  • The UAE president also called to congratulate him and pledged support for efforts that bolster Iraq’s stability and bilateral ties.
  • His business record draws scrutiny after Iraq’s central bank barred his Al-Janoob Islamic Bank from dollar trades in 2024, even as he faces pressure to curb Iran-aligned militias and steady an oil‑dependent economy disrupted by export shocks.