Iraq parliament approves government of Prime Minister Zaidi

The Iraqi parliament approved the cabinet of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Thursday, ending months of political stagnation following the November elections. 

Key members of the new government include the Kurdistan Democratic Party's Fuad Hussein, who is staying on as foreign minister; Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair, who was nominated by previous Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's list; Khalid Shawani, a member of the Patriotic Union for Kurdistan who is staying on as justice minister; and member of the Iran-backed Badr Organization Muthanna Ali Mahdi al-Tamimi as minister of water resources, according to local media reports.  

Lawmakers did not agree on a number of cabinet positions, including the minister of the interior, the official Iraqi News Agency reported.  

Zaidi arrived at the parliament late afternoon Baghdad time to present his government and took an oath upon receiving approval from the legislature. 

Zaidi identified development and economic diversification, strengthening the security forces' capabilities and placing all weapons “in the hand of the state” among the priorities of his government, parliament said in a statement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi congratulated Zaidi in a post on X, saying Iraq is “at the top of the priorities” in Iran’s foreign policy. US special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack also congratulated Zaidi in a post on the social media platform, saying the Trump administration is encouraged by his “fresh leadership.”

Zaidi, a businessman and political unknown, was tapped to form a government by President Nizar Amedi on April 27 after he was nominated by the Coordination Framework — an alliance of Shiite parties that forms the largest bloc in parliament. The post-November election parliament was supposed to vote for a president who would then designate a prime minister by Jan. 29, but it did not elect Amedi until April 11 amid a dispute between Kurdish parties over the presidency. 

Zaidi has significant business interests in Iraq, including the Al-Janoob Islamic Bank and the Taawon Hypermarket chain, but he is relatively new to politics. He secured support from key figures in the Coordination Framework, including Sudani and influential former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. 

Maliki was originally nominated by the framework in January, but he faced strong opposition from President Donald Trump, who threatened to cut off US support for Iraq if he returned to office. Maliki's tenure, which lasted from 2006 to 2014, saw the emergence of the Islamic State (ISIS) and the entrenchment of Iran-backed armed groups in the country. 

In contrast, Trump praised Zaidi's nomination, calling it the "beginning of a tremendous new chapter between our nations." Zaidi additionally received support from Iran, with Araghchi congratulating him in early May. 

Zaidi's government will face pressure from the US on the influence of Iran-backed militias in Iraq, and the US has announced sanctions targeting the armed groups and their allies this year, as well as financial rewards for information on commanders in groups who have attacked American forces during the US-Israel-Iran war. A number of the militias serve in the Popular Mobilization Units, which formed to fight ISIS in 2014. The US wants Baghdad to disarm and formally integrate the groups into the state.