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Iraqi Protest Leaders Launch Political Blocs, Seek to Partake in Elections

A side of clashes between anti-government activists and security forces in Iraq's southern Nasiriyah city last week (AFP)
A side of clashes between anti-government activists and security forces in Iraq's southern Nasiriyah city last week (AFP)
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Iraqi Protest Leaders Launch Political Blocs, Seek to Partake in Elections

A side of clashes between anti-government activists and security forces in Iraq's southern Nasiriyah city last week (AFP)
A side of clashes between anti-government activists and security forces in Iraq's southern Nasiriyah city last week (AFP)

Newly formed political blocs linked to anti-government protests in Iraq, also known as the ‘October Revolution,’ have expressed their desire to partake in the upcoming Levantine country’s general elections slotted for next June.

Activists predicted that no less than 10 parties will push for demands made by October Revolution protesters in upcoming parliamentary elections.

During the last few days, two parties of activists announced their willingness to challenge Iraq's political class in June’s ballot vote. It is expected that other parties that emerged from the mass 2019 protests will follow suit.

Prominent October Revolution leader Alaa al-Rikabi revealed, at a press conference on Friday, that the new Imtidad Movement would "confront the corruption of the current regime" in parliamentary elections.

He said the name referred to the party being an "extension" of the protest movement, which began in October 2019 and encouraged mass protests around the country until the coronavirus pandemic limited their ability to mobilize.

Rikabi announced the new party in nearby Samawah, instead of Nasiriyah city, where he is based, because of fears about attacks from rival parties.

Militia attacks continue to affect activists in Nasiriyah. Only two days ago, the home of local activist Wahab Al-Hamdani was attacked.

Serious damage done to the residence was reported.

Another party, called the October 25 Movement, also held a conference to announce plans for partaking in elections and stress the importance of political work supporting the country’s economy and countering Iranian influence in Iraq.

“After a long effort and a process challenged by many obstacles and troubles, we broke the barrier of time, abandoned fear, and announced the October 25 Movement as the first strategic political project that calls for the separation of religion and state, stands firmly against Iran's destabilizing policies, and puts Iraq's interests first,” one of the movement’s founders, Talal al-Hariri, said in a tweet.

He went on to explain how his party works to ensure the integrity of anti-state protests against the backdrop of opportunist Islamists who seek to take over.

In other news, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir of Iceland as his new Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs and Electoral Assistance of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

Gísladóttir succeeds Alice Walpole of the United Kingdom, who will complete her assignment end of February 2021.

Gísladóttir brings a wealth of diplomatic and political experience to the position, including from her recent role as Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and most recently as the Head of its Election Observation Mission in Ukraine.

She also served as UN Women’s Regional Director in Europe and Central Asia and its Country Representative in Turkey and Afghanistan. She was Iceland’s Foreign Affairs Minister from 2007 to 2009, member of Parliament for seven years, and Mayor of Reykjavík for nine years. She is also a member of the Nordic Women’s Mediators Network.

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Arab World

Yemen Faces New Phase of Iranian Threat

An image circulated on social media shows an Iranian aircraft at Sanaa airport, which is under the control of the Houthis (X).
An image circulated on social media shows an Iranian aircraft at Sanaa airport, which is under the control of the Houthis (X).
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Yemen Faces New Phase of Iranian Threat

An image circulated on social media shows an Iranian aircraft at Sanaa airport, which is under the control of the Houthis (X).
An image circulated on social media shows an Iranian aircraft at Sanaa airport, which is under the control of the Houthis (X).

Yemen’s internationally recognized government said it has entered a new phase in its confrontation with the Iran-backed Houthi movement after Iran operated a direct flight to Sanaa International Airport, controlled by the group, to transport senior Houthi officials to the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The government condemned the flight as a violation of Yemen’s sovereignty, while the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen warned against any escalation threatening either Saudi Arabia or Yemen.

In response, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, chaired by Rashad al-Alimi, held an emergency meeting with senior military and security officials, signaling that it views the issue as more than a civilian flight. The council said it challenged the state’s exclusive authority over its airspace, airports and international crossings.

The council argued the flight underscored the Houthis’ close ties to Tehran and their continued use of state institutions under their control to advance Iran’s agenda. It said the move violated UN Security Council resolutions and international law, testing the international community’s commitment to protecting Yemen’s sovereignty.

The government warned that allowing international flights without its approval would set a dangerous precedent, bypass legitimate institutions and entrench the country’s political division. It vowed to use political, legal and diplomatic means to defend its sovereignty.

The council also linked the flight to a pattern of Houthi actions, including attacks on international shipping and rejection of peace initiatives, saying the group continues to put Iran’s interests ahead of Yemen’s.

Saudi warning

The Saudi-led coalition said the issue extends beyond Yemen’s internal conflict and affects regional security.

Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki warned that the alliance would respond “with full force and unprecedented strength” to any attempt to target Saudi Arabia or undermine Yemen’s sovereignty.

Analysts say the statement draws red lines against any permanent Iranian presence at Sanaa airport while stressing that any response would remain consistent with international humanitarian law.

Peace efforts under strain

The escalation comes as regional and international mediators seek to preserve Yemen’s fragile truce despite stalled peace talks.

Houthi threats to establish regular Iranian flights to Sanaa have raised fears of a more dangerous phase in the conflict, particularly given longstanding accusations that Tehran supplies the group with weapons, military technology and advisers.

Yemen’s government stressed that Sanaa airport is not merely a humanitarian issue but one of sovereignty and international recognition. It urged the United Nations and the UN Security Council to move beyond condemnations and take concrete action against Iranian violations.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government has sought to underscore its continued backing for the Yemeni administration, while issuing clear deterrent signals against any moves that could threaten its security or alter the existing rules of engagement.

Arab World

Is a New Showdown Looming Between al-Sadr and the Coordination Framework in Iraq?

Sadrist Movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr. (Reuters file)
Sadrist Movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr. (Reuters file)
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Is a New Showdown Looming Between al-Sadr and the Coordination Framework in Iraq?

Sadrist Movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr. (Reuters file)
Sadrist Movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr. (Reuters file)

The decision by influential cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Sadrist Movement, to break his prolonged silence and publicly back Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s anti-corruption campaign appears to mark a turning point in Iraq’s political landscape.

It raises the prospect of a direct confrontation with the ruling Coordination Framework, after years in which rivalry between the two sides was largely confined to electoral politics and political maneuvering rather than open confrontation.

The first notable response came from former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, leader of the State of Law Coalition, who defended the Framework as a political project that had “proven its success.” His remarks were widely interpreted as an attempt to contain mounting pressure on the ruling Shiite alliance that has varying ties to Iran.

The developments come amid signs of growing divisions within the Framework, which emerged after the 2021 elections as an alternative to the Shiite alliances that had dominated Iraqi politics since 2005.

Al-Sadr’s silence

After the 2021 elections, al-Sadr sought to form a “national majority government” with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, led by Masoud Barzani, and a Sunni alliance headed by former Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi.

The effort collapsed because of the so-called “blocking third,” which prevented the election of a president by the constitutionally required majority and prolonged Iraq’s political deadlock.

In the summer of 2022, al-Sadr withdrew his lawmakers from parliament and announced his departure from political life, declaring that he refused to “participate with the corrupt in any form.”

He also said he would not take part in elections “while the corrupt remain,” urging his supporters to preserve their political and grassroots organization in preparation for a future stage should circumstances change.

Since then, al-Sadr has boycotted every subsequent election, including the most recent one, despite repeated calls — including from rivals within the Framework — to return to politics.

Anti-corruption campaign reshapes the landscape

The political equation shifted with al-Zaidi’s recent anti-corruption campaign, which reached its peak with the arrest of 21 political and parliamentary figures in the operation dubbed “Dawn Strike.”

The campaign gained further momentum after investigating judge Diaa Jaafar revealed that part of the embezzled funds had been used to finance election campaigns, raising broader questions about the integrity of the most recent elections and the influence of political money on their outcome.

Observers said these developments have given al-Sadr political ground that aligns with the position he adopted after leaving parliament: refusing to participate in what he considers a political system tainted by corruption.

Settlement or political realignment?

Al-Zaidi became prime minister after the Coordination Framework failed to agree on a candidate from within its own ranks.

After former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani was effectively ruled out for a second term and al-Maliki’s candidacy faltered amid domestic and international objections, specifically from the US, political factions turned to a figure from outside Iraq’s traditional political class.

A businessman in his 40s, al-Zaidi is widely seen as an acceptable choice for Washington, while Iran has reacted with unusual caution, reflecting what many observers see as a decline in its influence in Iraq compared with previous years.

His early decisions attracted attention, including his announcement not to attend the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which was attended by several Coordination Framework leaders and an official Iraqi delegation headed by President Nizar Amidi.

He has also pledged to strengthen ties with the United States and is expected to visit Washington in July.

Domestically, al-Zaidi has vowed to press ahead with mostly pro-Iran disarming armed factions, giving them until September to surrender their weapons, an issue successive Iraqi governments have failed to resolve because of its political and security complexities.

Al-Sadr breaks his silence

The turning point came when al-Sadr fully endorsed the anti-corruption campaign, describing al-Zaidi as a “soldier of reform.” The move went beyond political support, giving the government broad popular backing.

Pro-government demonstrations followed, while Sadrist leaders began openly supporting the campaign after months of silence awaiting al-Sadr’s instructions.

Observers viewed this as the first broad political and popular alignment against Iraq’s ruling establishment since 2003, particularly because the anti-corruption campaign has targeted figures associated with influential factions within the Coordination Framework.

The political stakes are heightened by the fact that al-Zaidi’s priorities — combating corruption and bringing all weapons under state control — overlap with those of US President Donald Trump’s administration toward Iraq.

Analysts said this creates a convergence of interests between Washington and the Sadrist Movement, despite their fundamental differences on other issues.

Pressure mounts on the Coordination Framework

The convergence does not amount to a direct political alliance between al-Sadr and the US administration. However, it gives al-Zaidi’s government support from two actors traditionally viewed as standing on opposite sides of Iraq’s political divide, thereby increasing pressure on the Coordination Framework.

In response, al-Maliki defended the alliance in a post on X, saying it had served as “the incubator of the national political process” and that its success was reflected in its role in forming three successive governments.

“There is no reason to abandon a project that has proven successful,” he wrote, adding that the Coordination Framework “will remain as it was founded, preserving its principles, identity and founders,” while arguing that any reform should be limited to improving its mechanisms and performance, without altering the essence of the project.

Arab World

Israeli Military Says Killed Armed Militant in South Lebanon

This picture taken from a position in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel shows Israeli army tanks positioned along the Israel-Lebanon border, on July 1, 2026. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP) /
This picture taken from a position in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel shows Israeli army tanks positioned along the Israel-Lebanon border, on July 1, 2026. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP) /
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Israeli Military Says Killed Armed Militant in South Lebanon

This picture taken from a position in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel shows Israeli army tanks positioned along the Israel-Lebanon border, on July 1, 2026. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP) /
This picture taken from a position in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel shows Israeli army tanks positioned along the Israel-Lebanon border, on July 1, 2026. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP) /

The Israeli military said on Saturday that it killed an armed militant in the "security zone" under its control in south Lebanon.

The military said in a statement on Saturday that Israeli soldiers “identified an armed terrorist operating inside the Security Zone, in the Majdal Zoun area in southern Lebanon," adding that troops "opened fire at the terrorist" and, after conducting "extensive searches", then "eliminated" him.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said an Israeli helicopter carried out "a broad sweep operation on the outskirts" of Majdal Zoun and launched five missiles towards the village, without specifying a target or immediately reporting casualties.

The NNA also reported on Saturday that an Israeli strike on the village of Mansouri wounded one person, and reported Israeli artillery shelling elsewhere.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes days earlier.

Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, where its troops still occupy swathes of territory near the border.

At the end of June, Lebanon and Israel agreed to a US-backed framework aiming to pave the way for a permanent end to hostilities.