Iraq Nominates Businessman Zaidi As Next Prime Minister

  

The ruling Coordination Framework surprised everyone by nominating businessman Ali al-Zaidi to be the next prime minister.

US Cuts Off Iraq’s Oil Revenues To Force It To End Iranian Influence

  

The Trump administration dramatically increased the pressure upon Iraq to curtail Iranian influence in the country.

KDP Frustrated With Defeat Over Iraq’s Presidency

     

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) finds itself on the defensive after the election of Iraq’s president. The party believed it was on the ascendency due to the disarray of its partner the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) but that trend has been reversed recently.

PUK Maintains Iraq’s Presidency Setting Off New Dispute With KDP

  

On April 11 Iraq’s parliament finally elected a president six months after elections. That was Nizar Amedi from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). This happened despite a boycott by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Nuri al-Maliki’s State of Law.

Iraq Resistance Base Hit With Over 120 Casualties

   

On March 12 Ansar Allah’s 19^th Hashd Brigade was struck by at least two airstrikes in Akashat, Anbar. When rescue teams arrived they were hit as well. At least 35 were killed and around 90 were wounded. That was by far the highest number of casualties by any operation by the United States and Israel since the Iran War started. Before that the Hashd announced that there had been a total of 27 dead and 50 injured.

Where Is US Policy On Iraq Headed?

  

U.S. policy towards Iraq under the second Trump administration seems straight forward but it’s not. The main focus is to reduce Iran’s influence in Baghdad. Following that policy has been chaotic however as the U.S. government does not speak with one voice due to the lack of Trump’s leadership.

Iraq Playing Chicken Over Maliki Nomination For Prime Minister

  

Iraq is currently trying to form a new government and is playing a high stakes game of chicken with the United States at the same time.

Is Maliki Going To Be Iraq’s PM Again?

On January 24 the ruling Coordination Framework formally announced Nouri al-Maliki as its candidate for prime minister. If Maliki were to successfully become PM again this would be a surprising turn of events for a politicians who used the government to go after his opponents, was thoroughly corrupt, and was responsible for the fall of Mosul to the Islamic State. It once again shows how Iraq’s ruling class is completely bankrupt and only cares about its self-preservation.

Iraq Takes 1st Steps In Forming New Govt

 

Iraq is taking its first steps towards forming a new government. The ruling parties however are still deadlocked over who will be the next president and prime minister.

Full Results Of Iraqi’s 2025 Parliamentary Election

 

While Iraq’s ruling elite are starting discussions over who should be the next prime minister the full results of the country’s 2025 parliamentary elections have been announced.

PM Sudani Comes In 1st Place But Re-Election Not Guaranteed

 

Prime Minister Mohammed Sudani came in first place in November’s parliamentary election. However he didn’t win enough seats to ensure a second term. His main opponent Nouri al-Maliki came in second but didn’t do as well as he hoped. That means the government formation process will be a free for all since the two main politicians vying for the premiership are at the mercy of the other lists to form a ruling coalition.

Iraq Sees Surge In Voting Across Most Of The Country (REVISED)

 

Iraq’s Election Commission released partial early results for voter turnout in the provinces. It showed a surge of voting across the country compared to the last parliamentary elections in 2021.

Early Election Results Show 56% Voter Turnout In Iraq

 

November 11 Iraq held its seventh parliamentary elections. Despite widespread worries about apathy amongst the public there was an increase in voters and the highest participation rate since 2014.

Iraq’s Political Parties Prepping to Cheat In November Election

Iraq’s parliamentary elections are a month away and already the media is full of stories of the political parties cheating as happens every time votes are cast.

Sadr Says Sticking To Boycotting Iraq’s November Parliamentary Election

 

Moqtada al-Sadr has doubled down on his boycott of the November parliamentary elections. He originally announced he would not participate back in March. He repeated his commitment to this move at the end of September. This is a major blow to voter turnout as Sadr has the only mass movement in the country.

Mass Banning Of Candidates Could Be Around The Corner In Iraq

Iraq is set for parliamentary elections this November. The biggest news isn’t the platforms of the parties vying for power but rather the mass banning of candidates. Almost 600 have been disqualified so far for crimes and Baathist ties. Reports are this is the tip of the iceberg.

2025 The Year Of Banned Candidates Before Iraq’s Elections?

Iraq is due to have parliamentary elections in November 2025. In the run up to the vote the Election Commission and the Accountability and Justice Commission are banning dozens and dozens of candidates, some of them very well known. This a throwback to 2010 when the same thing happened to help ensure the ruling Shiite parties remained in power.

Maliki Starts Playing On Baathist Card For 2025 Iraq Elections

Al Mada reported that Nuri al-Maliki and his State of Law list are pushing a Baathist threat to Iraq once again. There are claims that up to 500 candidates will be banned by the Accountability and Justice Commission for their Baathist ties and that there are 27,000 former regime members within the government. A parliamentarian told Al Mada that these accusations are being exaggerated. This is a tried and true theme of Maliki and his followers. They most infamously used it in the 2010 election when hundreds of people were struck from lists for their connections to Saddam.

Sadr Won’t Participate In Iraq’s Upcoming Elections

After much speculation Moqtada al-Sadr announced that he would not take part in this year’s parliamentary elections. This is good news for the ruling Coordination Framework because it doesn’t have to worry about its biggest rival. On the other hand it will be a hit for the country’s political system as it will likely result in the lowest voter turnout since 2003.

Maliki Brings Up Early Elections In Iraq Once Again In Attempt To Unseat PM Sudani

On November 12 a spokesman for the State of Law list once against brought up early elections in Iraq. This is part of a plan by Nouri al-Maliki to unseat Prime Minister Mohammed Sudani and return as the leader of the country.