BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s dominant parliamentary bloc on Monday nominated Ali al-Zaidi, a businessman and political newcomer, to be the country’s prime minister.

The announcement by the Coordination Framework, a coalition of Shiite parties allied with Iran, followed a meeting at the government palace. It came after weeks of internal debate among its member parties aimed at selecting a compromise candidate to lead the next government.

kAm!C6D:56?E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^G:56@^:C2B\6=64ED\:5:\2D\AC6D:56?E\2>:5\H2C\72==@FE\g4a7_g`c“bcc`gah3g4623af“hahehQm}:K2C p>:5:k^2m E96? E2D<65 2=\+2:5: H:E9 7@C>:?8 2 8@G6C?>6?E] tG6? H:E9 E96 324<:?8 @7 E96 5@>:?2?E 3=@4[ E96 ?6H 8@G6C?>6?E 😀 ?@E 2DDFC65 @7 C646:G:?8 E96 C6BF:C65 ?F>36C @7 G@E6D]k^Am

kAm%96 4@2=:E:@? 925 AC6G:@FD=J D2:5 :E H@F=5 324< 7@C>6C !C:>6 |:?:DE6C }@FC: 2=\|2=:<:[ H9@ E96 &]$] 25>:?:DEC2E:@? G:6HD 2D E@@ 4=@D6 E@ xC2?] &]$] !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A AF3=:4=J 2??@F?465 9:D @AA@D:E:@? E@ 2=\|2=:<: 2?5 E9C62E6?65 E@ 4FE @77 2:5 E@ xC2B :7 96 H2D 2AA@:?E65]k^Am

kAm(9:=6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:C2B\AC:>6\>:?:DE6C\>2=:<:\ECF>A\`4ddgd__2`a`3a643b6g42d24f2`4646Qm2=\|2=:<: C6>2:?65 567:2?Ek^2m 27E6C %CF>AVD :?E6CG6?E:@?[ E96 3=@4 564:565 E@ D9:7E E@ 2 4@>AC@>:D6 42?5:52E6]k^Am

kAmx? 2 DE2E6>6?E 2??@F?4:?8 2=\+2:5:VD ?@>:?2E:@?[ E96 r@@C5:?2E:@? uC2>6H@C< E92?<65 2=\|2=:<: 2?5 :?4F>36?E !C:>6 |:?:DE6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^G:56@^DFAA@CE6CD\@7\:C2B:\AC:>6\>:?:DE6C\46=63C2E6\9:D\6=64E:@?\H:?\:?\3289525\2b63f_bf4_64cce_3e2525_fd6fa7aheQm|@92>>65 $9:2 2=\$F52?:k^2m 7@C E96:C “9:DE@C:4 2?5 C6DA@?D:3=6 A@D:E:@?D” 😕 H:E95C2H:?8 E96:C 42?5:524:6D E@ 96=A @G6C4@>6 E96 A@=:E:42= 5625=@4<] p=\$F52?: :DDF65 2 DE2E6>6?E 4@?8C2EF=2E:?8 2=\+2:5:]k^Am

kAmp=\+2:5:[ H9@ 😀 492:C>2? @7 p=\y2?@@3 xD=2>:4 q2?<[ 6>6C865 😕 E96 7:?2= DE286D @7 5:D4FDD:@?D 2D @?6 @7 E96 =625:?8 42?5:52E6D[ 3@=DE6C65 3J 9:D 64@?@>:4 324<8C@F?5 2?5 3FD:?6DD 2?5 :?G6DE>6?E 4@??64E:@?D] w6 92D ?@E AC6G:@FD=J 96=5 A@=:E:42= @77:46]k^Am

kAmu@==@H:?8 9:D ?@>:?2E:@?[ 2=\+2:5: AC@>:D65 E@ 7@4FD @? >2<:?8 xC2B “2 32=2?465 4@F?ECJ[ C68:@?2==J 2?5 :?E6C?2E:@?2==J]”k^Am

kAm“%9:D 2AA@:?E>6?E 4@>6D 2E 2 D6?D:E:G6 E:>6 E92E C6BF:C6D 4@?46CE65 677@CED 7C@> 2== A@=:E:42= 2?5 D@4:2= 7@C46D[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm&?56C E96 4@?DE:EFE:@?[ E96 56D:8?2E65 AC:>6 >:?:DE6C 92D b_ 52JD E@ AC6D6?E 2 r23:?6E =:?6FA E@ E96 A2C=:2>6?E[ H9:49 C6BF:C6D `ef G@E6D E@ D64FC6 2 G@E6 @7 4@?7:56?46]k^Am

kAm%96 ?6IE 8@G6C?>6?E H:== 92G6 E@ 562= H:E9 E96 A@=:E:42= 2?5 64@?@>:4 72==@FE @7 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^:C2?Qm&]$]\xDC26=: H2C 282:?DE xC2?k^2m[ H9:49 DA:==65 @G6C :?E@ xC2B H9:=6 E96 4=@DFC6 @7 E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK 92D 5:DCFAE65 E96 @:= 6IA@CED @? H9:49 xC2BVD 64@?@>J 56A6?5D]k^Am

kAm%96 ?6H 8@G6C?>6?E H:== 2=D@ 7246 492==6?86D 😕 562=:?8 H:E9 E96 :DDF6D @7 4@CCFAE:@?[ F?4@?EC@==65 H62A@?D @FED:56 DE2E6 2FE9@C:EJ[ 2?5 E96 7FEFC6 @7 E96 !@AF=2C |@3:=:K2E:@? u@C46D[ 2 4@2=:E:@? @7 $9::E6 >:=:E:2D E92E 2C6 ?@>:?2==J F?56C E96 xC2B: >:=:E2CJ 3FE 😕 AC24E:46 =2C86=J @FED:56 @7 :ED 4@?EC@=]k^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.