Iraq’s parliament voted Thursday to approve Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi’s government program and confirm part of his Cabinet, but it ran into resistance on several ministerial nominations, prolonging uncertainty in a political system that has repeatedly fallen into deadlock, the Associated Press reported. The vote involved 270 lawmakers in attendance and resulted in approval of 14 ministers in a Cabinet of 23.
Foreign minister Fuad Hussein retained his post after the parliamentary action, while the votes produced an impasse on three portfolios. Nominees for interior minister, higher education minister and planning minister failed to win parliamentary approval, and lawmakers postponed voting on other roles, including defense, labor, housing and reconstruction, and education, with no date set for later consideration.
The framework for Iraq’s Cabinet formation follows a power-sharing arrangement among political blocs, with the Coordination Framework selecting 12 ministers, Sunni parties choosing six, Kurdish parties selecting four, and religious minorities receiving one. The AP described the parliamentary process as part of a broader political contest that often leaves Iraq without a functioning government for lengthy periods during past disputes.
Al-Zaidi, a businessman with no political background, emerged as a consensus candidate for prime minister after weeks of internal debate within the Coordination Framework on a compromise choice to lead the next government. The AP reported that both the United States and Iran supported his selection, reflecting Iraq’s close ties with both rival regional powers and its frequent efforts to balance between them.
As lawmakers moved forward with a partial lineup, the U.S. envoy to Iraq Tom Barrack congratulated al-Zaidi in a post on X, writing that “We are encouraged by your fresh leadership and look forward to collaborating on a bold new agenda aligned with our shared interests.” Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also congratulated al-Zaidi and Fuad Hussein, telling followers on his own post on social media that “Expanding friendly and brotherly relations between Tehran and Baghdad remains, at all times, a top priority of our foreign policy,” according to the AP report.
Behind the domestic vote, the AP said two Coordination Framework officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment, describing instructions from Esmail Qaani, a commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force. The officials said Qaani instructed several Shiite political and armed faction leaders not to proceed with steps related to disarmament at this stage and to postpone voting on ministries associated with political groups that have affiliated armed factions.
The AP report said the next government will also face political and economic fallout from the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, which spilled over into Iraq, and from the disruption of oil exports as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz affected Iraq’s economy. The government program approved by lawmakers included priorities such as improving public services, addressing the electricity crisis and supporting economic stability, along with combating corruption, reforming public administration and strengthening the rule of law. The program also included provisions related to restricting weapons to the state, a goal described by the AP as potentially difficult to carry out in practice given the presence of multiple Iran-backed militias in Iraq.