Iran moves to contain the CF divisions
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Senior Shiite leaders within Iraq’s Coordination Framework (CF) have launched efforts, alongside Iranian contacts, to contain growing divisions within the Shiite political camp following the incomplete parliamentary confidence vote for Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s government, a political source told Shafaq News on Monday.
The factions inside the CF had begun urgent discussions to prevent the political dispute from turning into a complete split, the source added, explaining that the attempts aim to restore balance within the alliance after mounting objections over the distribution of ministries, the approval of certain nominees, and the exclusion of others.
According to the source, the possibility of a visit to Baghdad by Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s Quds Force, is being seriously considered as part of these efforts, amid Iranian concerns over the scale of divisions among Shiite factions and their impact on groups close to Tehran within the new government.
Disputes inside the CF escalated after parliament granted confidence to Al-Zaidi’s government in an incomplete session, approving 14 ministers out of 23 cabinet positions. Nine ministries remained unresolved due to disagreements over nominees and political quotas, particularly the interior, defense, higher education, and planning ministries.
"The alliance are concerned that the new government could become a turning point in reshaping the Shiite political balance rather than serving as a transitional or consensus administration," the source said, noting that the current disputes are "fundamentally linked to future influence within the state, the role of armed factions, and how to respond to US pressure to restrict weapons to state control."
Earlier, political sources told Shafaq News that five major factions within the CF were moving to establish a new political alliance, including former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, Fatah Alliance leader Hadi Al-Amiri,Al-Aqd Al-Watani Alliance, led by Faleh Al-Fayyadh, Supreme Islamic Council leader Hammam Hamoudi, and Sanad bloc leader Ahmed Al-Asadi. The sources said the proposed alliance could include between 75 and 100 lawmakers, with the possibility of additional groups joining if negotiations expand.
