Kataib Hezbollah says next Iraqi prime minister requires “resistance” approval

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s next prime minister will “certainly not” be appointed without the approval of the “Islamic resistance,” Abu Ali al-Askari, the security official of Kataib Hezbollah, said on Saturday, adding that the decision should be taken as a national choice.

In a statement, Al-Askari emphasized that nomination must also be “free from the dictates of the American evil administration.”

The statement by the Iran-aligned armed faction comes as the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran continues to widen, with Iraqi armed groups involved in attacks targeting US bases and interests in support of Tehran.

On January 24, the Coordination Framework, the biggest parliamentary bloc, nominated former Prime Minister and Head of State of Law bloc Nouri al-Maliki for the post, a move that opened a new round of divisions within the Shiite political camp after influential factions rejected his candidacy.

The situation became more complicated after US President Donald Trump said on January 27 that the United States “will not help Iraq” if Al-Maliki is chosen as prime minister.

Tensions have also stalled the election of Iraq’s president, a position traditionally held by a Kurdish figure and considered a key step in the government formation process because the president formally tasks the largest parliamentary bloc with forming a cabinet. Disputes between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) over the presidential candidate have delayed the parliamentary session required to elect the head of state, leaving the prime ministerial nomination unresolved.