Middle East — 2026-05-15

Iraq Forms New Government With Only 14 of 23 Ministers Confirmed

BLUFTehran's hand in withholding the interior and defense portfolios means al-Zaidi's government cannot set independent security policy, leaving PMF disarmament and US force protection hostage to the broader US-Iran negotiation.

Iraq's parliament on May 14 voted confidence in Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's government, confirming 14 of 23 ministers. Interior and defense portfolios remain unfilled; nominees for planning and higher education were rejected, and votes on several other posts deferred to a session expected after the Eid al-Adha holiday. Two unnamed Coordination Framework officials told AP that IRGC Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani instructed Shiite faction leaders to delay disarmament and postpone votes on ministries tied to groups with armed factions. Sadiqoun, political arm of US-designated FTO Asaib Ahl al-Haq, told Long War Journal it would decide on cabinet participation only after the arms-to-state-control issue is resolved. US Iraq envoy Tom Barrack and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi each congratulated al-Zaidi publicly.

Analysis
Per two Coordination Framework officials cited by AP, Qaani instructed Shiite faction leaders to delay disarmament and hold confirmation votes for ministries tied to armed factions, treating Iraq's political calendar as leverage on the US-Iran negotiation track. Defense and interior remain unfilled, and whichever factions control those posts will define Baghdad's posture on PMF disarmament and US force protection demands. The communications ministry going to a figure reportedly linked to Kataib Hezbollah signals Iran has already secured a foothold in a ministry its proxies prize for revenue and data access. The staggered schedule may equally serve al-Zaidi's own coalition management, with the PM extracting concessions from militia-affiliated parties rather than executing Qaani's instructions.

4 sources

Iraq forms new government with only 14 of 23 ministers - Long War Journal
Iraq's parliament approves new Ali al-Zaidi government - Al Jazeera
Iraq's parliament approves partial Cabinet lineup - ABC News (AP)
Ali Al Zaidi sworn in as Iraq's PM after parliament endorses most of his cabinet picks - The National