Iraq President Nominates Ali al-Zaidi as PM-Designate

Iraq's President Nizar Amidi nominated businessman Ali al-Zaidi as prime minister-designate on Monday, tasking him with forming a new government after endorsement by the Coordination Framework, the largest parliamentary bloc.

The announcement followed a Coordination Framework meeting in Baghdad, where the Shia alliance selected al-Zaidi as its consensus candidate after weeks of internal discussions. The bloc, which holds about 185 seats in the 329-member parliament, had initially backed former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in January. However, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to halt all support for Iraq if al-Maliki, who previously served as premier from 2006 to 2014, returned to power. Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also withdrew his candidacy.

In a statement, the Coordination Framework praised al-Maliki and al-Sudani for their "historic and responsible stance" in stepping aside to resolve the political deadlock. Al-Sudani issued a separate statement congratulating al-Zaidi. The presidency confirmed that al-Amidi had formally tasked al-Zaidi, the candidate of the largest bloc, with government formation.

Al-Zaidi, a political newcomer with no prior...