Overview
- Iraq’s largest Shia bloc put forward Ali al-Zaidi and President Nizar Amedi named him prime minister-designate on Monday, breaking months of deadlock after President Donald Trump opposed Nouri al-Maliki.
- Under Iraq’s constitution, al-Zaidi has 30 days to propose a cabinet and must win a parliamentary confidence vote to take office.
- The U.S. Embassy said Wednesday it extends its “best wishes” to al-Zaidi yet kept pressure on Baghdad over armed groups tied to Iran and tighter controls on dollar flows.
- Al-Zaidi’s business record is drawing scrutiny, including his past chairmanship of Al-Janoob Islamic Bank, which Iraqi regulators barred from U.S. dollar transactions in 2024 over money-laundering risks.
- Iraq’s next government will confront militia attacks, corruption, and a fiscal crunch worsened by a Strait of Hormuz closure that reports say has slashed oil exports, threatening salaries and services for millions.