Iraq’s parliament approved the new government six months after parliamentary elections in November 2025. Ali al Zaidi is now the prime minister, but key ministries remain unfilled amid disagreements between Tehran and Washington and their partners over the government’s formation.
After months of political deadlock, the Shiite parties that comprise Iraq’s largest parliamentary bloc named Ali al Zaidi as the country’s prime minister-designate. Zaidi, a businessman who has not previously held a government position or been publicly affiliated with a specific party, now has 30 days to form a government.
Iraq faces mounting political pressure as Shiite parties in the Coordination Framework (CF) seek to select a new prime minister amid tensions between the US and Iran. On the evening of April 20, the CF delayed its decision to nominate a candidate for the office until April 22. The US has reportedly paused some coordination with Baghdad pending investigations into attacks on US interests, and Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force commander Esmail Qaani visited Iraq on April 19.
Baghdad is shifting toward political stabilization and economic challenges during the fragile post-conflict phase that follows more than a month of US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Iranian-backed militia attacks in Iraq. After hundreds of militia attacks, including strikes on US and Kurdish targets, Iraq is moving forward with long-delayed political appointments, including choosing a new president.
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has vowed to continue pursuing a return to office regardless of US pressure opposing his candidacy, intensifying political uncertainty following Iraq’s November 2025 elections. Maliki’s bid comes as Shiite factions within the Coordination Framework weigh their options amid ongoing efforts to select a new president and prime minister.
Iraq’s Shiite leadership has chosen a candidate to lead the next government, but American objections have contributed to stalling the government-formation process. The country’s leaders may turn to creative solutions to navigate the impasse, including declaring the current government an extended caretaker government.
A November 26 drone attack on the Khor Mor gas field in the Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq has led to power outages. The attack has been condemned by the US, UN, Turkey, Iran, and local Iraqi officials. Kurdistan Regional Government officials have called for increased protection of the facility, which has been targeted a dozen times in the last several years. Iranian-backed militias using kamikaze drones have been blamed for past attacks, and officials in Baghdad and Erbil vowed to investigate.
On November 11, Iraqis voted in the country’s sixth parliamentary election since 2006. More than 30 million people were eligible to vote, and estimates say turnout was around 55 percent. There were 329 seats up for election, with Iraqi parties divided along sectarian and ethnic lines. On the eve of the election, US officials met with their Iraqi counterparts to discuss future security cooperation. Meanwhile, Iran is closely monitoring the election results as pro-Iranian parties and militias seek to secure seats in parliament.
Iraqi and American officials announced that the US-led counter-Islamic State operation in Iraq began its transition to a bilateral security agreement. US forces have begun moving from Iraqi bases as part of the first phase of the shift, which will end “the coalition’s military mission” in the country.