Iraq parliament approves al-Zaidi cabinet amid economic and security pressures
Iraq's parliament has completed the formation of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's government after approving the remaining cabinet posts and three deputy prime ministers. The vote on Thursday filled previously vacant ministries and brought the cabinet to completion, according to the supplied report. Lawmakers also postponed one nomination, leaving the migration and displacement ministry unresolved for now.
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Parliament approved 11 portfolios in total, including Nayef al-Shammari as defence minister and Yasir al-Maliki as interior minister. Other approved posts included the planning ministry, the culture ministry, and the ministry of higher education and scientific research. Among the three deputy prime ministers confirmed was Laith al-Khazali, a senior figure in Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the brother of the group's leader, Qais al-Khazali.
The report says the migration and displacement minister vote was delayed because of disagreement among parties. It also notes that Laith al-Khazali is linked to a movement that the United States designated as a foreign terrorist organisation in 2020. The same report says the US Treasury had already sanctioned both brothers in 2019 over the killing of protesters in Iraq, and that the group has been cited by Washington over attacks including a 2007 assault that killed five US soldiers.
The cabinet approval comes as Iraq faces severe economic pressure and continuing security concerns. Al-Zaidi said the government is entering a phase of accelerated work to address what he described as exceptional challenges linked to the US-Israel war on Iran, which he said began on February 28. He said the conflict has worsened Iraq's liquidity shortages and added strain to public finances at a time when the state still depends heavily on oil revenue.
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Before the war, Iraq exported about 3.5 million barrels of oil a day through the Strait of Hormuz, generating around 90 percent of government revenue, according to the report. Al-Zaidi, who is described as a former banker, said he devalued the dinar by almost 15 percent against the US dollar to help cover essential public spending and government salaries. He also said the government inherited public debt of more than 208 trillion Iraqi dinars, or about $139bn at the new exchange rate, when it took office in May.
Al-Zaidi thanked parliament after the vote and urged the deputy prime ministers and ministers to carry out their duties with commitment, competence and integrity. What remains unclear is how quickly the new cabinet can resolve the outstanding migration ministry post and whether the political disagreements behind the delay will persist. The wider test for the government will be whether it can stabilise finances, maintain basic services and manage the security and diplomatic pressures now facing Iraq.
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