Iraq installs a 41-year-old banker as PM after a five-month deadlock
Sudani sidelined, Maliki vetoed under US pressure: parliament approves Ali al-Zaidi with a partial cabinet, defence and interior still vacant
Summary
Iraq's parliament approved a government under Ali al-Zaidi on 14 May 2026, ending a five-month deadlock after the 11 November 2025 election (Who Decides). At 41, the multimillionaire banker is Iraq's youngest prime minister. Outgoing PM Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani's Reconstruction and Development Coalition won the most seats (46) but Iraq's compromise-driven system passed him over; the Coordination Framework first backed Nouri al-Maliki, then dropped him after US President Trump threatened to cut aid over Maliki's pro-Iran leanings. President Nizar Amedi, chosen in April, named al-Zaidi PM-designate on 27 April. Only 14 of 23 ministries were filled at the confirmation vote; defence and interior remain vacant amid bloc disputes — leaving the new government structurally incomplete.
By the numbers
- 41 — al-Zaidi's age, the youngest PM in Iraq's history.
- 5 months — gap between the November vote and government formation.
- 46 — seats won by Sudani's bloc, the largest, yet passed over.
- 14 of 23 — ministries filled at the confirmation vote.
- 329 — seats in the Council of Representatives.
Why it matters
The choice shows Washington's leverage shaping Baghdad's premiership and Iran-aligned blocs conceding a compromise figure. But empty defence and interior portfolios leave security policy unanchored at a moment of regional volatility, and a businessman-PM's authority over entrenched factions is untested.
What to watch
- Filling the defence and interior ministries and which bloc controls them.
- Al-Zaidi's posture between Washington and Tehran on sanctions and militias.
- Whether the partial cabinet survives early no-confidence pressure.