US extends ‘best wishes’ to Iraq’s PM-designate Zaidi

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The US embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday extended its wishes to Ali al-Zaidi after he was tasked by the Iraqi president to form a new cabinet, following weeks of political deadlock over the powerful post. Washington had opposed the previous nominee.

“U.S. Mission Iraq extends its best wishes to Prime Minister-Designate Ali al-Zaidi as he works to form a government capable of fulfilling the hopes of all Iraqis for a brighter and more peaceful future,” the embassy said in a post on X.

“We stand in solidarity with the Iraqi people aspiring to the shared objectives of safeguarding Iraq’s sovereignty, promoting security free from terrorism, and building a prosperous future that delivers tangible benefits for Americans and Iraqis,” it added.

The Shiite Coordination Framework — the largest parliamentary bloc — on Monday named Zaidi as its “consensus candidate” for prime minister, the bloc said in a statement, following weeks of consultations among its constituent parties and on the final day of the constitutional deadline for designating a nominee for the post, traditionally held by a Shiite.

Hours later, President Nizar Amedi officially tasked Zaidi with forming a new government.

Iraq held legislative elections in early November, and in late December parliament elected its speaker and two deputies, paving the way for government formation talks that have since been marked by political divisions.

The Shiite alliance had initially nominated former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki to form the new cabinet, but replaced him with Zaidi after US President Donald Trump opposed his return to power, labeling the move a “very bad decision” and warning that Washington would “no longer help Iraq” if he were selected.

Trump has yet to comment on Zaidi’s nomination.

On April 11, parliament elected the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) nominee Amedi as president. Under the constitution, once sworn in, the president has up to 15 days to task the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc — in this case the Coordination Framework — with forming a government.

Under Iraq’s post-2003 political system, key state positions are distributed along ethno-sectarian lines: the prime minister is a Shiite, the president is a Kurd, and the parliament speaker is a Sunni.