In a contested legislative session, Iraq’s parliament has officially approved a partial cabinet lineup for the newly designated Prime Minister, Ali Falih Kadhim al-Zaidi, in attendance with 270 lawmakers, who voted to appoint 14 ministers in the 23-member cabinet.
The vote of confidence, which concluded after a stormy 70-minute session, successfully installed al-Zaidi as the country’s new leader alongside the confirmed ministerial appointments.
Nominees for three ministerial positions, the interior minister, higher education minister and planning minister, have failed to win parliamentary approval, and the other positions, including defence, housing, labour, reconstruction and education, have been postponed for later. Intense political infighting, severe external diplomatic pressure and a political deadlock left nine crucial cabinet portfolios completely vacant.
The fractured outcome underscores the deep divisions paralysing Iraq’s political elite following a gridlocked five-month stalemate that succeeded the national elections.
The official Iraqi News Agency (INA) confirmed that Prime Minister al-Zaidi and his partial 14-member cabinet took their constitutional oaths of office immediately after the vote.
The newly sworn-in leader expressed gratitude to the assembly, using a statement on the social media platform X to thank legislators for their “great trust and solemn commitment.”
Al-Zaidi further pledged that his administration would work tirelessly to fulfil “the aspirations of Iraqis for development, justice, and a dignified life.”
Under Iraq’s sectarian power-sharing system, the incoming government’s cabinet distribution reflects a fractured political landscape. The Coordination Framework, a dominant coalition of Iran-allied Shiite parties that forms the largest bloc in parliament, retains the lion’s share of influence by selecting 12 ministerial posts.
The remaining portfolios are divided along ethno-religious lines, with Sunni factions appointing six ministers, Kurdish parties choosing four, and a single seat is reserved for religious minorities.
The newly formed administration of Ali al-Zaidi has inherited a severe economic crisis triggered by the spillover of the US-Iran war into Iraqi territory. Compounding this instability is the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a maritime bottleneck that has severely choked off global shipping routes.
Because Iraq’s national budget is overwhelmingly reliant on hydrocarbon revenues, these shipping disruptions have paralysed the vital oil exports required to sustain the country’s fragile economy.
Iraq’s Sovereign Ministries Left in Limbo
The breakthrough remains partial as the Iraqi parliament failed to reach a consensus on its most critical “sovereign” portfolios, including the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defence. The partisan rivalries and political crosswinds disrupted the confirmation process, forcing lawmakers to delay votes on the unfilled seats until later in the month.
The gridlock was further aggravated by strict diplomatic warnings from the US explicitly stating it would refuse to cooperate with Baghdad if prominent security positions were handed over to figures affiliated with Iran-backed armed groups.
Despite the sweeping vacancies, al-Zaidi has managed to secure key appointments for Iraq’s critical economic sectors. Bassim Mohammed Khudair was elevated from his previous role as deputy minister to become the official Minister of Oil. This appointment is seen as pivotal for Iraq’s financial stability, as the incoming energy team faces the immediate hurdle of managing oil export disruptions caused by volatile regional trade routes.
Additionally, Kurdish politician Sarwa Abdul Wahid was confirmed as the Minister of Environment, marking her as the sole woman to successfully secure a seat in the initial cabinet lineup.
Al-Zaidi’s Administration Forges Diplomatic Engagement
Al-Zaidi’s newly formed administration forged a high-level diplomatic engagement with allies seeking stability in the region. In a formal diplomatic dispatch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his warmest congratulations to al-Zaidi on assuming charge of the prime ministership.
Prime Minister Modi emphasised the deep, historical bilateral relations between India and Iraq, reiterating New Delhi’s commitment to strengthening economic, energy, and counter-terrorism partnerships with the incoming Iraqi government.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held an official phone call with al-Zaidi, congratulating him on his nomination to form the country’s next government. According to a statement released by Turkiye’s Communications Directorate, Erdogan expressed strong confidence that the incoming leader will successfully and swiftly establish an inclusive, balanced, and highly stable government.
The Turkish president emphasised that anchoring a reliable political structure in Baghdad is paramount for the collective peace and overarching stability of the wider region.
During the diplomatic exchange, Erdogan also highlighted the substantial momentum that Ankara and Baghdad have achieved in recent years, noting that their close cooperation has been built on a deep strategic and institutional framework.
Looking forward, Erdogan reaffirmed Turkiye’s absolute commitment to advancing and deepening these bilateral ties under the new Iraqi administration. He explicitly underlined that the Turkmen community in Iraq serves as a unique and vital element of brotherhood, bridging the historical and cultural ties that tightly bind the two neighbouring nations together.
US envoy to Iraq Tom Barrack, in a post on X, congratulated al-Zaidi. “We are encouraged by your fresh leadership and look forward to collaborating on a bold new agenda aligned with our shared interests,” Barrack said.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also congratulated al-Zaidi and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, who was reappointed to the post. “Expanding friendly and brotherly relations between Tehran and Baghdad remains, at all times, a top priority of our foreign policy,” he wrote.
The Iraqi government approved programs that prioritise public services, the country’s electricity crisis, looming economic instability, corruption, public administration reforms, and strengthening the rule of law. The programs also included restricting the flow of arms into the state.
Despite these measures, there’s high scepticism about whether the partial cabinet can bring meaningful reform to the war-weary Iraq. Regional experts have noted that al-Zaidi’s cabinet is fundamentally a product of elite horse-trading among the same political actors who dominated previous failed administrations, representing continuity rather than a bold new direction.
Al-Zaidi, however, has sought to project immediate authority despite criticisms, issuing an inaugural executive decree demanding that all newly appointed ministers publicly disclose their personal wealth within seven days to signal transparency.
With more than a third of the cabinet still unconfirmed, al-Zaidi’s immediate challenge remains navigating the delicate balance between political factions, the US, and Iran to finalise his government. Amid the heated legislative debates, the specific cabinet positions remain deadlocked behind the scenes.
Iraq’s Militia Dilemma and Looming Tehran’s Shadow
Amid the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, Al-Zaidi’s newly formed Iraqi administration faces an immediate, high-stakes security challenge as it attempts to navigate the presence of multiple Iran-backed militias operating inside its borders.
Throughout the devastating US-Israeli war with Iran, powerful paramilitary groups launched relentless drone and rocket attacks targeting American military bases and diplomatic compounds across Iraq. While Washington has significantly intensified its pressure on Baghdad to forcefully rein in and dismantle the Iran-backed factions, Tehran has aggressively pushed back against the US’s attempts at disarmament, viewing the militias as critical leverage in its broader regional strategy.
This has paralysed Iraq’s legislative process behind closed doors.
According to two officials within the dominant Coordination Framework who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Esmail Qaani, the commander of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, has explicitly ordered Shiite political and paramilitary leaders to halt any discussions regarding disarmament.
Faction leaders were instructed to delay the issue entirely until the future trajectory of US–Iran diplomatic negotiations resulted in cessation of regional hostilities. Furthermore, the officials revealed that Qaani personally intervened to postpone parliamentary voting on key government ministries, ensuring that portfolios linked to political groups with active armed wings remain frozen.
Al Zaidi Rise in a Politically Fractured Landscape
Stepping into the political spotlight as an “outsider,” Iraqi Prime Minister al-Zaidi represented a non-traditional shift for Iraq’s top office. A businessman with no prior political background, he has emerged as a consensus candidate after weeks of intense, exhaustive debate among the fractured member parties of the dominant Coordination Framework.
Faced with a legislative deadlock, the coalition selected him as a compromise figure capable of bridging deep factional divides. Al-Zaidi managed to secure the rare, simultaneous backing of officials from both Washington and Tehran. His appointment places him at the centre of Iraq’s fragile foreign policy, forcing him to adopt a delicate, high-stakes balancing act between two of Baghdad’s powerful adversarial rivals.
