Baghdad Weighs Possibility of Forming Interim Govt Headed by Kadhimi

Followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr hold posters with his image during an open-air Friday prayers at Grand Festivities Square within the Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. (AP)
Followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr hold posters with his image during an open-air Friday prayers at Grand Festivities Square within the Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. (AP)
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Baghdad Weighs Possibility of Forming Interim Govt Headed by Kadhimi

Followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr hold posters with his image during an open-air Friday prayers at Grand Festivities Square within the Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. (AP)
Followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr hold posters with his image during an open-air Friday prayers at Grand Festivities Square within the Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. (AP)

The Iran-backed Coordination Framework in Iraq is mulling a proposal by Sadrist movement leader, cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, to form an interim government as a solution to the country’s months-long political deadlock.

One figure from the group, however, stood out to oppose the proposal, Sadr’s longtime rival, former Prime Minister and head of the State of Law coalition, Nouri al-Maliki.

He declared his rejection of Sadr’s proposal to dissolve parliament.

“There can be no dissolution of parliament, change in the system, or early elections,” he announced.

The solution lies in allowing the elected parliament to convene, he urged.

Maliki appears to be rejecting Sadr’s proposal just for the sake of rejecting it, without even weighing the probability that it may actually ease the tensions in Iraq.

The former PM is bent on confronting the cleric without any clear political strategy or proposing viable solutions.

Some of his close associates have even claimed that he is obsessed with defeating Sadr.

Such stringent thinking is a threat to his fellow allies in the Framework and Iran’s agenda in Iraq.

Shiite figures, therefore, sought to include representatives from Tehran in discussions over tackling the intra-Shiite disputes.

Iran is aware that the prolongation of the dispute will undermine its interests in Iraq.

At the moment, Maliki appears unwilling to be part of the efforts to restore calm, posing a problem for Tehran.

Sadr is also another problem. He is raising his demands and tightening his grip on power in what the Iranians may interpret as a move to bypass them and seek a direct understanding with Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Sadr has been presented with proposals to resolve the crisis, including dropping the membership of lawmakers who were sworn in to replace his own, who resigned in June.

Another proposal has been the formation of an interim government headed by caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

The government would not include Sadr or Maliki loyalists.

Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni leaders are working hard to persuade Sadr to agree to the suggestion.

A senior political source revealed that two Iranian representatives were part of these efforts.

There are no signs that Sadr would agree to the proposal because his demands go beyond the government and aim to mend the system in Iraq.

The Framework’s possible acceptance of the interim government may soften his position.



War Shakes Middle East Airports, Passengers Held Hostage

Passengers wait at Beirut airport amid disruptions caused by Israeli-Iranian conflict (EPA)
Passengers wait at Beirut airport amid disruptions caused by Israeli-Iranian conflict (EPA)
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War Shakes Middle East Airports, Passengers Held Hostage

Passengers wait at Beirut airport amid disruptions caused by Israeli-Iranian conflict (EPA)
Passengers wait at Beirut airport amid disruptions caused by Israeli-Iranian conflict (EPA)

The Israeli-Iranian war has severely disrupted air traffic across the Middle East, causing widespread airport closures and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

Travelers have been left stranded or forced to reroute their journeys amid altered takeoff and landing schedules, with many airports affected by military use of their airspace by both Tel Aviv and Tehran for warplanes, missiles, and drones.

Thousands of passengers have had to substitute flights with land or sea travel to avoid danger or endure long waits for alternate air transport.

Since the Israeli airstrikes on Iran that began in the early hours of last Friday, followed by Iran’s retaliatory drone and missile attacks, the airspace over Israel, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq has been closed.

Aviation sources reported that more than 650 flights bound for Europe were canceled. Gulf and European carriers have suspended flights to countries caught in the conflict zone.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that airlines are now using safer flight routes, deliberately avoiding Iraqi, Syrian, Jordanian, and Lebanese airspace, as well as the fully closed skies of Israel and Iran.

Some carriers operating emergency flights to Beirut, Amman, and Egypt are following strict safety protocols.

Flights departing Beirut airport are routed westward over the Mediterranean Sea toward Cyprus and then Greece, before continuing to Europe or the Gulf, deliberately avoiding Lebanese, Syrian, and Iraqi airspace—a sharp contrast to pre-conflict routes.

Several Arab and European airlines, including Emirates, flydubai, Etihad, Air France, Transavia, Lufthansa, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Pegasus, continue to suspend flights to the region. The disruption has hit operations at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport, which experienced chaos in the initial days of the war and widespread passenger panic.

However, the airport has since begun stabilizing. Amin Jaber, Director General of Civil Aviation at Rafic Hariri Airport, said the facility “has overcome the initial disruption quickly by implementing swift solutions for stranded travelers.”

He added that a newly formed crisis management committee is closely monitoring risks hour by hour to keep flights clear of security threats.

Jaber confirmed that the conflict “has forced the crisis committee to adopt multiple flight paths for arrivals and departures at Rafic Hariri Airport.”

“Due to security concerns, we rely on the western runway, which is the safest, and use Cypriot airspace to steer aircraft away from missile threats. Whenever missile launches are detected, Lebanese airspace is immediately closed to all flights,” Jaber added.

The disruptions seen at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport mirror the wider chaos across the region’s airports. Jaber said all airlines operating arrivals and departures at Beirut have comprehensive risk assessments in place.

Beirut airport experienced significant turmoil during the first two days of the conflict, with hundreds of passengers forced to wait indefinitely after numerous flight cancellations and schedule changes.

Many opted to leave the airport and return to the city amid the uncertainty. Jaber noted that conditions have since improved both at Beirut and other airports that have partially suspended operations.

Before any civilian aircraft takes off or lands, airport authorities and airlines ensure no immediate threats jeopardize the safety of planes or passengers.

Former Middle East Airlines (MEA) pilot Mohammad Aziz told Asharq Al-Awsat that flight safety responsibility rests not with pilots alone, but with the risk assessment committees, civil aviation authorities, airport management, and air traffic control towers guiding pilots during flight.

Aziz revealed that planes are equipped with large fuel reserves allowing extended flight time to accommodate emergencies requiring route changes or longer airborne holding patterns.

Currently serving as a safety and security advisor to MEA’s chairman, Captain Aziz highlighted that Rafic Hariri Airport is among the least vulnerable to missile threats because its flight paths are directed west and north. He warned, however, that the greatest danger lies in flights over Syrian territory.

“Despite this,” Aziz said, “Beirut airport management exercises the utmost caution. The control tower and airport authorities remain on high alert, maintaining constant communication with pilots to reroute or divert flights to alternate airports if evolving conditions threaten aircraft and passengers.”