2026-04-18T21:48:55+00:00

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Shafaq News- Baghdad

Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed faction, on Saturday
rejected any move to concentrate Iraq’s top political posts within a single
bloc, as political forces remain deadlocked over selecting the next prime
minister.

In a statement, the group’s security official, Abu Mujahid
al-Assaf, outlined four political and security positions, stressing that “it is
not acceptable for one group to monopolize the four presidencies.” He indicated
that if allies within the Coordination Framework —a coalition of Shiite parties
aligned with Iran, that forms the largest bloc in parliament— fail to secure
the nomination of either State of Law Coalition (SLC) leader Nouri al-Maliki or
caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, priority would shift to
selecting a candidate from their respective blocs.

Read more: Al-Maliki sounds different this time — the world is not convinced yet

Iraq’s parliament elected Nizar Amedi as president on April 11,
triggering the constitutional timeline for naming a prime minister. However,
the Coordination Framework has yet to agree on a nominee, with a planned
meeting to resolve the impasse postponed to Monday, according to a political
source.

He further referred to an understanding with an Iraqi mediator
regarding the US Embassy in Baghdad, stating that its security and the safety
of its personnel depend on avoiding attacks on residential areas across Iraqi
provinces. The group, in his words, intends to dismantle what it described as
“occupation-linked” security and military institutions, disarm them within
cities, and end their influence in state ministries and security and political
agencies.

On Kuwait, which has recently summoned Iraq’s chargé d’affaires,
Zaid Abbas Shanshul, over alleged attacks by armed groups targeting Kuwaiti
territory, he warned against actions that could harm “segments of the people”
amid the US-Israeli confrontation with Iran.

Read more: Iraqi Armed factions’ cross-border attacks draw legal warnings and Arab pressure

Al-Assaf also said Lebanon’s Hezbollah had established “a new rule
in asymmetric warfare” that forced the “American-Zionist enemy” to accept the
agreement, describing the outcome as “a clear victory” despite external
pressure and internal complexities. He called for stronger coordination among
“resistance” factions and other actors, alongside opening new fronts to deter
the United States and Israel.