In an interview with France 24, Dr. said: Issam Al-Faili, professor of political thought at Al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad, said that Ali Al-Zaidi’s assignment to form the new Iraqi government came after an American veto of other figures such as Nouri Al-Maliki. Al-Fili expected that Al-Zaidi would face major challenges, most notably the weapons of the pro-Iranian factions, restoring warmth to relations with the Gulf states, and resolving economic dilemmas, most notably the repercussions of the Strait of Hormuz crisis and US sanctions, especially halting dollar shipments to Iraq after targeting Washington’s interests in the region.

Published on: 04/28/2026 - 21:32

Ali al-Zaidi, who was appointed by Iraqi President Nizar Amidi on Monday to form the new government, is awaiting several complex files, perhaps the most prominent of which are the weapons of pro-Iranian groups, the relationship with the Arab Gulf states, and the decline in income due to the repercussions of the Strait of Hormuz crisis in light of the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Under Iraq's constitution, Al-Zaidi now has 30 days to form a government and submit it to parliament for approval. If formed, he will become the youngest prime minister in the country's history.

The new Iraqi prime minister is expected to address Washington's demand to disarm Iranian-backed groups that have been designated as terrorist organizations.

He will also have to repair Iraqi-Gulf relations, which were affected by the attacks launched by groups supported by the Shiite regime in the Islamic Republic on its lands during the recent war.

From an economic standpoint, he is required to address the problems facing Iraq, especially after the sharp decline in income resulting from the turmoil in the Strait of Hormuz, knowing that oil exports constitute about 90 percent of the country’s budget revenues.

Who is Ali Al-Zaidi?

Al-Zaidi is a wealthy Iraqi in his forties. He owns investments in multiple sectors, including banks and supplying materials for the huge Iraqi government “food basket” program that serves millions of citizens.

He was also seen as a "compromise candidate", although the businessman, banker and TV station owner was not a widely known figure in political circles. He has never held a government position.

Political analyst Hamza Haddad considered that Al-Zaidi, “because he is a banker and owner of a television channel, has the means to help him influence people and politicians.” He believed that his nomination “also allows the coordinating framework, composed of Shiite parties close to Iran, to say that it adheres to the constitutional deadline,” whether or not it succeeds in forming the government.

His nomination came in light of the regional war that broke out due to the attack launched by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28.

Read also: War in the Middle East: How many deaths were there in Iran, Israel, Iraq, and the Gulf states?

Iraq was not spared the repercussions of the war, which lasted for more than 40 days. During it, the headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces and Iraqi armed factions loyal to Iran were subjected to raids attributed to the United States and Israel, while American interests were targeted by attacks claimed by Iraqi factions.

To learn more about the Iraqi Prime Minister in charge of forming the new government, and the challenges he will face, we interviewed Dr. Issam Al-Fayli, professor of political thought at Al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad.

France 24: From finance and business to prime minister... Who is Ali Al-Zaidi?

D. Issam Al-Faily: Ali Al-Zaidi is one of the well-known figures in economic circles. His star has risen for more than eight years. Before that, he worked in the field of trade and became a bank owner. He has major economic contracts with the Ministry of Commerce, and he also has a holding company. His nomination process also came as a result of the circumstances experienced by the political process in Iraq, especially after the American veto against Al-Maliki [former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki - editor's note] and then the subsequent veto against a number of figures. This situation contributed to the search for an unknown figure in the political scene, as Mr. Ali Al-Zaidi was one of the closest options to the political class. On the other hand, I think that the political forces were focusing on the issue that the next prime minister in the next stage does not have the right to form a party and should not think about running in the elections. Therefore, Ali Al-Zaidi was more suitable because he is more inclined to the economy than to politics, this is of course if he succeeds in forming the government and completes his term.

The weapons of the pro-Iranian factions and relations with the Gulf states.. What will Al-Zaidi’s equation be for the balance of power and interests?

They are among the most important challenges that Al-Zaidi will face. First: The nature of the factions’ weapons, specifically, which poses a challenge to all governments that followed 2014, as they now have a moral and political entity and have become present in the political scene and even affect Iraq’s image abroad, because they are active towards some neighboring countries and American interests.

In practice, I believe that no one today can confront the weapons of the factions, and any confrontation will lead to an internal civil war, especially since most or all of the weapons are in the hands of the Shiite component, which sees that from a practical standpoint it is linked to its presence in the process of protecting the regime. Even the Popular Mobilization Law, which was not approved during the era of Al-Sudani [outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani - editor's note], stipulated that this weapon represents a means of protecting the regime. The text of the legal draft did not say protection for the state, which created existential anxiety among all components present in the Iraqi political scene.

Read also: Seven members of the Iraqi army were killed in a new strike on a military site, and Baghdad intends to file a complaint with the Security Council

Secondly, with regard to Iraqi relations with the Arab Gulf states, Al-Zaidi must take into account the issue that these countries transcend their geographical borders because they possess many elements of power, such as their influence on international decisions as well as their great economic capabilities. Perhaps the recent crisis has demonstrated the importance of the Gulf states and their geo-strategic position, and how this region must enjoy peace, as any tension that occurs in the Arabian Gulf casts a shadow over the entire region. Therefore, it is in Iraq’s interest to establish balanced, calm and constructive relations with the Gulf countries and to be part of an axis. Construction, not a crisis, especially since the Gulf states are waiting for the Iraqi government to create a change in the geo-strategic and geopolitical relations between it and Iraq. If Ali Al-Zaidi succeeds in this context, especially thanks to his being an economic figure, I believe we will overcome this crisis.

Economy.. How will Al-Zaidi deal with the crisis of the sharp decline in income resulting from the Strait of Hormuz crisis?

Certainly, this is one of the biggest challenges. Firstly, there is the internal and external debt, and before that there is also the issue that Iraq has not received any resources recently, unlike many countries in the region that have what are known as sovereign investment funds to help them overcome crises, while Iraq is almost entirely a rentier state, as more than 90 percent of internal funds are mostly from oil revenues.

Secondly, there is another important issue related to dollar shipments. During the period of the government of Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, the American government stopped dollar shipments, and this is one of the upcoming challenges for the Iraqi government. But the biggest challenge facing Al-Zaidi remains the United States’ position on his government, especially since it had placed his bank on the sanctions list. Will it seek to build a strategic relationship with him? This depends on the nature of Washington's conviction that Al-Zaydi is distancing himself from Iran and his pursuit of creating an independent Iraqi government that is not affected by the regional environment, especially the Iranian one.

Keywords related to the article

The content you want to browse is no longer in service or is currently unavailable.