Muqtada al-Sadr’s renewed engagement with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government suggests a possible political comeback and effort to reshape Iraq’s political balance.

With Iraq’s parliamentary elections concluded, the winning alliances and parties have begun initial consultations to form the largest coalition that will select a candidate to lead the new government, amid deep divisions within the Coordination Framework.

Before Iraq’s elections, Washington made no secret of its desire to keep militias away from both the political and security arenas, arguing that their presence strengthens Iranian influence in the country.

Iraq's parliamentary elections come amid a notable decline in Iran’s regional influence, an absence of security unrest in Sunni cities, the unprecedented boycott by the Sadrist movement since 2005, and the exclusive adoption of biometric voting cards.

As Iraq’s parliamentary elections draw closer, political factions are stepping up their media campaigns, using crises and incidents to discredit rivals, even at the cost of civilian lives.