As confirmed by Shafaq News… Details of Khazali’s visit to Iran: Iraq is sovereign
As confirmed by Shafaq News… Details of Khazali’s visit to Iran: Iraq is sovereign
2026-02-10 09:23
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Naeem Al-Aboudi, a member of parliament from the “Asaib” bloc led by Qais Al-Khazali, revealed on Tuesday details of the movement’s secretary-general’s visit to Tehran and the accompanying discussions with Iranian officials.
Al-Aboudi said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that “Al-Khazali’s meetings with senior political leaders in Iran during his recent visit at this sensitive stage that Iraq and the region are going through were a message of solidarity and appreciation, in which he clarified that Iraq is a fundamental pillar in its regional environment, and its decision is purely national, based on the will of its people, its land, its history and its holy sites.”
He added that “Iran has shown clear and continuous support for Iraq, its people and government, and that Iraq is sovereign and makes its own decisions and forms its government according to its national will, and that what the media reported about interference in choosing the candidate for the premiership is contrary to the truth, but rather it is a blessing of the framework’s decision to nominate whomever it sees fit, whatever his name may be.”
Al-Aboudi concluded by saying: “Here, the Asa’ib bloc in the Iraqi parliament (the Sadiqun bloc) affirms its commitment to protecting the supreme interest of the state and its political system, and its commitment to taking responsibility for making the appropriate decision in managing the current phase and directing its course in accordance with the requirements of national sovereignty.”
Two political sources had revealed earlier today to Shafaq News Agency that Khazali had tried during the visit to meet with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but he was unsuccessful, while he met with a number of officials and those close to the Supreme Leader.
They added that al-Khazali raised during his meetings the need to maintain the cohesion of the coordination framework, and questioned the talk of an “Iranian blessing” for the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki for the next government, but the Iranian position remained supportive of his continued nomination despite the American objection, according to the two sources.
Hours after his return from Tehran, Khazali held a meeting this morning with the leader of the Wisdom Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, to discuss the results of his meetings there, at a time when Khazali and al-Hakim are considered among the most prominent voices that are hesitant within the Shiite bloc regarding Maliki’s return to the premiership so far, according to the two sources.
Al-Khazali’s visit comes as the constitutional process for naming a new prime minister has stalled due to the delay in electing the president in parliament, as a result of a dispute between the two main Kurdish parties – the Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union – over a single candidate for the position, which effectively freezes the next step of assigning the candidate of the largest parliamentary bloc to form the government.
Iran has been an influential player in the formation of Iraqi governments since 2003 through its close relations with Shiite forces, parties, and factions that today form the core of the “coordination framework.” Tehran often seeks to maintain the cohesion of this camp and favor options that ensure the survival of a friendly government in Baghdad, amidst an American-Iranian rivalry that is directly reflected in the names of prime ministerial candidates and alliances within parliament.
In parallel, American pressure on Iraqi forces supporting al-Maliki’s nomination has escalated in recent days, as US President Donald Trump warned on January 27, 2026, that the United States “will not help Iraq” if al-Maliki is chosen as prime minister, and considered that the country had previously slipped into “poverty and chaos” during his term.
The US State Department, in response to an inquiry from Shafaq News Agency on February 5, 2026, conveyed a strongly worded position, indicating Washington’s readiness to use “the full range of tools” to ensure the implementation of Trump’s policy, while hinting at halting US support if Maliki returns to the premiership.
shafaq.com
