The ruling Coordination Framework surprised everyone by nominating businessman Ali al-Zaidi to be the next prime minister.
Iraq held parliamentary elections in October 2025. After six months the Framework was deadlocked. Nuri al-Maliki wanted a third time as premier while standing PM Mohammed Sudani wanted to remain in office.
On April 11 Nizar Amedi was elected president which seemed like a breakthrough. Sudani supported Amedi and believed that he would be named prime minister again as a result. Instead he and Maliki went back to bickering.
Maliki and Sudani then floated subordinates as candidates but that went nowhere as well.
Falah Fayad the head of the Hashd Commission was reportedly the one that convinced Maliki and Sudani to step aside and accept an independent candidate. That was Zaidi. He was first mentioned a month ago.
As Al Mada pointed out, Zaidi was accepted by all the members of the Framework because he does not have his own political party that could threaten the others and he was not backed by anyone that could foster rivalries. He is also not a politician and was looked at as a someone that could manage the state.
Zaidi is a businessman that made his fortune by getting contracts with the government. His company the National Holding Company for instance supplies the food ration system. Iraq has a state run economy so having access to public funds is the main way to prosper in the country.
Iraq is also one of the most corrupt nations in the world and Zaidi has been involved with that as well. He was the chairman of the Al Janoob Islamic Bank which was sanctioned by the United States in 2024 for buying dollars at the Central Bank of Iraq auctions and smuggling them to Iran. All the ruling parties manipulate the dollar auctions to enrich themselves.
Finally, Zaidi has the backing of the United States. The Embassy posted on X that it welcomed Zaidi’s nomination and wished him well in forming a new government.
Trump posted on his Truth Social that he opposed Maliki returning to power because of his past policies. Maliki became an autocrat in his second term and went after his opponents as well as working closely with Iran and its militia allies. He was widely blamed for the return of the Islamic State and the fall of Mosul in 2014. Washington then turned on PM Sudani when he failed to control the pro-Tehran Resistance during the Iran War. They carried out attacks upon the U.S. Embassy and the entire Middle East during the conflict. Washington probably sees Zaidi as a neutral candidate just as the Iraqis do.
SOURCES
Bas News, “US Mission in Iraq Backs PM-Designate Al-Zaidi’s Government Formation Efforts,” 4/29/26
Al Mada, “170 Days of Stalemate End with a Candidate Lacking a Clear “Political Godfather”!” 4/29/26
Mahmoud, Sinan, “Businessman Ali Al Zaidi’s controversial path to Iraqi PM nomination," The National, 4/28/26
Rudaw, “Sudani vs Maliki camps clash over Iraq’s next prime minister: Sources,” 4/21/26
Van Heuvelen, Ben, “Ali al-Zaidi nominated for Iraqi premiership,” Iraq Oil Report, 4/28/26
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