Judge Faiq Zaidan, a figure close to Iran, has recently emerged in the open amid infighting within the Shiite camp, particularly over objections to Nouri al-Maliki’s bid to return as prime minister.

Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework backs Nouri al-Maliki for prime minister despite U.S. opposition and internal warnings of risks.

With the approval of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, for the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki, a senior figure in Iraq’s SCF, to assume the post of prime minister for a third term, questions have intensified over how the United States might respond to this.

As Trump threatens to strike Iran if the authorities move to kill protesters, Tehran has relied on Iraqi militias loyal to it to help suppress demonstrations that erupted across the country on December 28, 2025, sparked by a sharp economic downturn.

In a fresh escalation on Iraq’s crowded political stage, Iran-linked militias have launched a fierce campaign against the U.S. president’s envoy to Baghdad, Mark Savaya, going as far as issuing direct threats.