Al-Zaidi keeps defense, interior posts under his oversight
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi remains committed to managing the defense and interior ministries on an acting basis, a government source told Shafaq News on Thursday, denying any political agreement or move to finalize the two ministers' names at this stage.
Al-Zaidi has expressed satisfaction with the performance of officials currently running the defense and interior ministries in an acting capacity, personally overseeing both ministries' work, the source said, adding that he has set specific standards and conditions for selecting any candidate for either post.
The file remains pending for now as the government focuses on other priorities, chiefly addressing the financial crisis, expanding economic and investment partnerships, and unifying efforts to calm regional tensions, the source clarified.
Political forces or components entitled under the constitution to the two ministries retain the right to submit candidates, the source explained, though this does not necessarily guarantee approval, since nominees are subject to standards set by the commander-in-chief and any candidate failing to meet those criteria may be rejected.
Iraq's parliament granted confidence to al-Zaidi's government and its ministerial program on May 14, 2026, voting on 14 of 23 ministers, while nine portfolios remained pending due to disputes over names and quotas, including interior, defense, higher education and planning.
Since taking office, al-Zaidi has carried out extensive changes to senior executive and military positions across state institutions as part of a broader restructuring of security and administrative arrangements. He has also launched a wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign that has removed dozens of government officials, lawmakers and businessmen, recovering billions of dinars and seizing illicit properties and assets.
On May 16, the prime minister tasked Hussein al-Awadi, the interior ministry's senior undersecretary, with temporarily running the ministry pending the appointment of a new minister to succeed Abdul Amir al-Shammari. In mid-July, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces issued an order assigning former Interior Minister Lieutenant General Abdul Amir al-Shammari to head the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
Al-Zaidi also issued a decision dissolving the Joint Operations Command, reorganizing its responsibilities under the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
On July 26, the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces reopened its headquarters in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone under a new structure merging the Joint Operations Command, the commander-in-chief's personal secretariat, and the National Operations Center into a single body known as the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
