Iran backs Al-Maliki for Iraqi premiership
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei backs former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s return to power, a source familiar with the matter told Shafaq News on Sunday.
The message reached al-Maliki through a delegation that included Hammam Hammoudi, head of the Supreme Islamic Council, Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) official Abu Fadak al-Mohammadawi, and the Iranian ambassador to Baghdad, who conveyed Khamenei’s remarks and praised Iraq’s support for Iran amid ongoing hostilities.
Al-Maliki was nominated on January 24 by the Shiite Coordination Framework (CF), the largest parliamentary bloc, as its candidate for Iraq’s next prime minister. However, the political process has since stalled amid disputes over electing a president, a constitutional prerequisite before tasking the largest bloc with forming a government.
His nomination faces opposition from Sunni political factions and some Shiite figures, while also drawing criticism from Washington. US President Donald Trump has previously warned that US assistance to Iraq could be halted if al-Maliki returns to the premiership.
Read more: Iraq PM race stuck between largest bloc dispute and US pressure
