Al-Zaydi presents the ministerial program to the Speaker of Parliament
Prime Minister-designate Ali Faleh al-Zaidi presented the new government’s ministerial program to Speaker of Parliament Hebat Hamad al-Halbousi on Thursday (May 7, 2026), while both sides stressed the importance of cooperation to complete the process of granting confidence to the government.
The video for this My FX Buddies Blog post is below here:
The media office of the Prime Minister stated in a statement received by "Baghdad Today" that "Prime Minister-designate Ali Falih al-Zaidi presented the ministerial program of the new government to the Speaker of Parliament, Hebat Hamad al-Halbousi, during a meeting that brought them together today, Thursday."
The statement added that "the ministerial program will be circulated to members of the House of Representatives for them to study and review its details, and the names of the government formation will be submitted at a later time."
According to the statement, both sides emphasized "the importance of joint cooperation and coordination to proceed with completing the entitlement to grant confidence to the government and its ministerial program as the basic pillar upon which the government builds its work and duties, based on constitutional and legal contexts."
The government program of Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi Has Been Presented to
link
published today, Thursday (May 7, 2026), the government program of the Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zidi, including the most prominent axes of the government program that is supposed to form the executive framework for the work of the next government.
Prime Minister-designate Ali Faleh al-Zaidi presented the new government’s ministerial program to Speaker of Parliament Hebat Hamad al-Halbousi today, while both sides stressed the importance of cooperation to complete the process of granting confidence to the government.
The media office of the Prime Minister stated in a statement received by "Baghdad Today" that "Prime Minister-designate Ali Falih al-Zaidi presented the ministerial program of the new government to the Speaker of Parliament, Hebat Hamad al-Halbousi, during a meeting that brought them together today, Thursday."
The statement added that "the ministerial program will be circulated to members of the House of Representatives for them to study and review its details, and the names of the government formation will be submitted at a later time."
According to the statement, both sides emphasized "the importance of joint cooperation and coordination to proceed with completing the entitlement to grant confidence to the government and its ministerial program as the basic pillar upon which the government builds its work and duties, based on constitutional and legal contexts."
To view the curriculum,
MP: Americans have begun scrutinizing the names of al-Zaydi's cabinet ministers, and Trump may
change his stance.
MP Zahraa Luqman, from the Badr Organization, expressed her concerns about the change in US President Donald Trump’s stance towards Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi, stressing that the US administration has already begun scrutinizing the names of candidates for the upcoming cabinet.
Luqman said during a televised interview followed by local media that Trump “could change his mind at any moment,” describing him as “a contradictory person,” and noting that her concerns relate to the way ministers were chosen after al-Zaidi was appointed.
The MP criticized the mechanism for selecting Al-Zidi’s coordinating framework, considering that he “does not have a clear electoral entitlement,” but at the same time she did not rule out his success, stressing that he is “a son of the market” and has economic experience that may help him manage some important files.
She added that there is “accurate information” indicating that the American side has actually begun reviewing the names of the proposed ministers, through a figure who presents the names to the Americans to obtain their approval, as she put it.
Luqman pointed out that Al-Zaydi might be able to bring about change in some service and economic ministries if he stays away from the policy of partisan favoritism, stressing that the Iraqi street is waiting for a government program different from previous governments.
Parliamentary Finance Committee: Contracts will be fixed and daily wages will be converted without additional burdens on the budget.
Committee member Uday Awad said in a press statement that "there is a study prepared to stabilize the contracts and this does not cost the treasury any financial burdens."
He explained that “employees’ salaries amount to more than 7 trillion dinars,” indicating that “adding contracts does not increase the burden of salaries or the budget at all, because the matter is limited to changing the job title from contract to permanent staff, and there are some additions in a number of departments that can be dealt with through transfer between spending categories.”
Regarding the daily wage, Awad stated that "the daily wage will be converted into a ministerial contract, especially for those who were appointed after 2019, as there is a near-agreement to convert them into ministerial contracts."
The member of the Finance Committee continued, "Financial security is stable, but sending the budget from the new government will provide the legal basis for borrowing, as well as increasing non-oil revenues and addressing the issue of non-oil revenues with the Kurdistan Region."
Want to Support My FX Buddies?
ThanksSupport My FX Buddies
BuyMeACoffee CashApp:$tishwash
https://paypal.me/tishwash
.jpeg)
Hussein Arab: The cabinet approval session will be held on Monday with a government missing two ministers.
MP Hussein Arab confirmed today, Thursday (May 7, 2026), that the session to pass the ministerial cabinet will be held on Monday, with the government being presented with only two ministers missing.
Arab explained in a statement to “Baghdad Today” that “Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zidi intends to present his cabinet formation next Sunday, along with his government program, in preparation for requesting a vote of confidence from Parliament,” indicating that “the latest date for the vote will be Monday.”
He added that “Al-Zaydi has great freedom in choosing candidates for ministries, as he asked some blocs to submit more than one name for each portfolio so that he could choose one of them, while he asked other blocs that have specific ministries to submit one candidate to be approved, provided that he is from the same bloc.”
He pointed out that "the prime minister-designate may ask the Democratic Party to nominate a specific name for one of the ministries because he believes that this person will succeed in managing it, and the same applies to other ministries."
Arab explained that “Al-Zidi’s cabinet is primarily economic, and aims to improve the service and economic situation in the country,” revealing that “a number of competent ministers in the current government will have their confidence renewed within Al-Zidi’s government, due to his conviction that their performance was outstanding in the past period.”
He added that "the next stage requires greater support for the person in charge in order to achieve success," stressing that "the country is going through a sensitive stage that requires concerted efforts to overcome the challenges."
Political consultations are continuing in Baghdad regarding the formation of the new government headed by Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi, amid anticipation of the confidence vote session in Parliament, and the accompanying discussions about the distribution of ministerial portfolios and the nature of the expected cabinet, which is expected to have an economic character to address the accumulated challenges in the service and financial files.
The world held its breath for hours.
Not a resumption of war: US-Iranian naval skirmishes Thursday night into Friday morning near the Strait of Hormuz
Suddenly, tensions returned for hours on Thursday night into Friday, after US airstrikes targeted a port on Qeshm Island and the city of Bandar, while Iran announced an exchange of fire between its forces and the “enemy” and the targeting of 3 US destroyers near the Strait of Hormuz with missiles and suicide drones in response to the attack.
The Iranian Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters accused the US military of “violating the ceasefire by targeting two Iranian ships near the Strait of Hormuz and launching airstrikes in cooperation with some countries in the region on civilian areas,” announcing that it would attack US military vessels east of the Strait of Hormuz and south of the port of Chabahar in response to the attack.
The Iranian news agency Tasnim, citing sources, reported that the Iranian navy targeted three US destroyers near the Strait of Hormuz with missiles and suicide drones. A military source stated that "the events of the night began with an American attack on an Iranian oil tanker, followed by the targeting of US warships." Iranian media reported a heavy exchange of fire between armed forces and "the enemy" in the Strait of Hormuz, including the targeting of three US destroyers late Thursday evening. This was accompanied by "hostile" shelling that damaged parts of the strategic Bahman pier. Simultaneously, loud explosions were heard in the cities of Bandar Abbas and Minab, and on Qeshm Island. The Fars and Tasnim news agencies attributed some of these explosions to warning operations carried out by the Revolutionary Guard Navy against vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz without authorization.
Washington later acknowledged that Iran had launched missiles, drones, and small boats at its destroyers as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that its forces carried out defensive strikes against Iranian military facilities targeting missile and drone launch sites.
Later, the Israeli Army Radio said that assessments in Israel indicate that the mutual attacks between Iran and Washington in the Strait of Hormuz region have ended for both sides, and noted that the US military withdrew its destroyers from the strait after responding by launching missiles towards targets in Iranian territory.
New US sanctions on Iraqi officials and faction leaders accused of "forging and smuggling oil for the benefit of Iran"
The US Treasury Department announced new sanctions on Iraqi officials, companies, and leaders of armed factions loyal to Iran, including Deputy Oil Minister Ali al-Bahadli, on charges of "exploiting his position to facilitate the diversion of Iraqi oil to the benefit of the Iranian regime and its militias."
A statement issued by the US Treasury Department and reviewed by Ultra Iraq said that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had added Iraqi Deputy Oil Minister Ali Maaraj al-Bahadli to its sanctions list for his pivotal role in facilitating the diversion of Iraqi oil products to the benefit of Salim Ahmed Saeed, an oil smuggler known for his collaboration with Iran, as well as the Iranian-backed terrorist militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH). For years, Maaraj exploited his official positions—first as head of the Oil and Gas Committee in the Iraqi Parliament, and later within the Iraqi Ministry of Oil—to enrich Saeed and the Asaib Ahl al-Haq group, and consequently, Iran.
He added: “The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Saeed for sanctions in June 2025 for managing a network of companies that sold Iranian oil falsely declared as Iraqi oil to circumvent sanctions, including the listed company VS Oil Terminal FZE (VS Oil). A key element of this operation was Salim Ahmed Saeed’s ability to obtain special privileges in accessing Iraqi oil and to obtain forged documents from Iraqi government officials, thus legitimizing the illicit oil. To this end, Saeed was responsible for bribing complicit officials in the Iraqi government, as well as reportedly appointing Ma’araj to his official position.”
Since 2018, “Ma’araj has held numerous positions in the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, including head of the Licensing and Contracts Office, deputy minister, and acting oil minister. In his official capacity, Ma’araj enabled Saeed to obtain oil products through illicit means by granting his companies export rights,” according to the statement.
Ma'arij allowed millions of dollars' worth of oil to be trucked daily from the Qayyarah oil field to VS Oil in Khor al-Zubair for export. VS Oil oversaw the blending of Iranian and Iraqi oil before it was shipped to the market, according to the US Treasury, which asserted that "Ma'arij is responsible for falsifying the oil's origin documents for Saeed's network, enabling it to be smuggled to the market disguised as pure Iraqi oil."
The statement also said that the sanctions targeted "three senior leaders of armed factions allied with Iran, including leaders of (Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada) and (Asaib Ahl al-Haq)."
The statement noted that "Washington will continue to hold accountable the groups that target American interests, diplomatic facilities and companies inside Iraq." The statement also quoted US Treasury Secretary Scott Bisent as saying that "the Iranian regime is plundering the resources of the Iraqi people to finance terrorism," stressing that the United States "will not stand idly by while Iraqi oil is exploited to support Iranian activities."
According to the statement, "the sanctions were imposed pursuant to executive orders targeting sectors of the Iranian economy and groups designated as terrorist," noting that "Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq has been designated a foreign terrorist organization since 2020, while Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada was listed on the terrorism lists in 2025."
The sanctions included Mustafa Hashim Lazem al-Bahadli, a leader in Asaib Ahl al-Haq, known as “Sayyid Aoun,” who is accused of running the group’s oil smuggling and financing networks, as well as four Iraqi companies operating in the oil and logistics sector.
The US Treasury also imposed sanctions on Ahmed Khudair al-Maksoosi, the former deputy secretary-general of the “Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades,” and Mohammed Issa Kazem al-Shuwaili, nicknamed “Abu Maryam,” on charges related to coordinating with the Lebanese “Hezbollah” to purchase and transfer weapons to Iraq.
The US Treasury Department confirmed that "the new measures are part of the maximum pressure campaign against Iran, which targets smuggling, financing and sanctions circumvention networks."
She noted that the US administration had disrupted "billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenues and imposed restrictions on financial networks and companies linked to Tehran, including companies that use digital currencies and commercial fronts to circumvent sanctions."
The statement confirmed that "all assets belonging to the individuals and entities subject to the sanctions within the United States will be frozen, and US citizens are prohibited from dealing with them, with the possibility of imposing secondary sanctions on foreign institutions that cooperate with them."
She continued: "The U.S. Treasury Department remains prepared to take economic action against Iran's defense industrial base to prevent Iran from rebuilding its production capacity and extending its influence beyond its borders," and it is "prepared to take action against any foreign company that supports Iran's illicit trade, including airlines, and may, where necessary, impose secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions that facilitate Iran's activities, including those associated with small, independent Chinese oil refineries."
Al-Khafaji reveals behind-the-scenes details of the Al-Zidi government with Al-Hajj: MPs will be prevented from performing Hajj until the vote, and salaries will be in jeopardy!
MP Hassan Al-Khafaji revealed the behind-the-scenes details of the ongoing negotiations to form Ali Al-Zidi’s government, stressing that the heads of the political blocs informed the MPs of the need not to go to perform the Hajj rituals before the end of the session to vote on the anticipated government.
Al-Khafaji said during his interview with journalist Hossam Al-Hajj that “the last plane carrying pilgrims will take off from Baghdad Airport carrying 183 MPs after the end of the voting session,” indicating that the session to grant confidence to Al-Zidi’s government will be held on Sunday or Monday next week.
He added that the current Minister of Labor, Ahmed Al-Asadi, will retain his ministerial portfolio, while the Reconstruction and Development Coalition seeks to obtain the Ministry of Electricity “to contribute to ending the suffering of citizens with the energy crisis.”
Al-Khafaji indicated that the Ministry of Oil file was “resolved” in favor of the Sudanese coalition, along with four other ministries, noting that there were objections within the negotiations regarding the inclusion of bodies within the negotiating points, saying that “some are upset and do not want the bodies to be included within the points.”
He explained that the selection of Al-Zidi “pleased” many political forces because he is an “economic man,” revealing that the Prime Minister-designate asked the coordination framework to choose the Ministers of Finance and Interior.
Regarding the position of Deputy Prime Minister, Al-Khafaji confirmed that the position “cost Asa’ib 15 points,” indicating that there is an opinion within the coordination framework that rejects keeping the positions of Deputy Prime Ministers because of the financial and administrative burdens they represent.
He explained that the Sudanese coalition was heading towards the opposition option, but the appointment of Al-Zaidi changed the course towards “absolute support” for the new government, adding that the merchants expressed their satisfaction with the appointment of Al-Zaidi because he “will spare Iraq from wars and keep it away from problems.”
Al-Khafaji also touched on the issue of foreign relations, stressing that “the Americans have a problem with the Popular Mobilization Forces,” and predicting that the leaders of the factions would refrain from direct participation in the next government.
In the economic file, Al-Khafaji called for closing the “dollar cycle” and reducing dependence on a single export outlet, describing this as a “disaster,” noting that Iraq imports agricultural crops from Turkey worth up to $25 million.
Al-Khafaji concluded his remarks with an economic warning, saying: “I don’t want to cause the people anxiety, but if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, we will face difficulty in paying salaries.”
Next Saturday is the deadline for finalizing the cabinet... The Wisdom Movement reveals details of
the new government structure
Fahd al-Jubouri, a leader in the Wisdom Movement, revealed what he described as the "zero hour" for resolving the issue of the ministerial cabinet, stressing that next Saturday will be the decisive date for the final vote on the new government formation within the House of Representatives.
Al-Jubouri told Zaqoura News Agency in a special statement that the political understandings between the forces participating in forming the government have reached advanced and positive stages, despite the continuation of some differences that previously brought the dialogues back to "square one".
He explained that "the general atmosphere of the talks is positive, and there are strong indications that the government will be announced and the cabinet finalized next Saturday," noting that the political dialogues have witnessed remarkable progress in recent days after intensive rounds of meetings between the various parties.
Regarding the news circulating about American interference in the selection of ministerial figures, Al-Jubouri described that information as "exaggerated and inaccurate," stressing that "the American position was limited to conveying a message before the selection of the designated prime minister, which included not dealing with a government that includes factions, without directly interfering in the naming of ministers or imposing specific figures."
Al-Jubouri indicated that the new government structure will include the creation of three positions for deputy prime ministers instead of four, after the prime minister objected to one of the candidates for the fourth position, explaining that the distribution of positions will take place according to specialized files that include economic and service affairs and the energy sector.
He explained that the move towards creating the position of Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs came to address the confusion that the Ministerial Council for the Economy witnessed during the past period, as a result of the Foreign Minister being preoccupied with his international duties, which was reflected in the regularity of the periodic economic meetings.
Al-Jubouri concluded by emphasizing that the selection of the Vice Presidents and Deputy Prime Ministers will be based on a political and administrative vision aimed at ensuring that the state treasury is not burdened with additional financial obligations, noting that this approach has been agreed upon during recent official meetings.
Washington studied Saif al-Zaidi... and the "diplomats' ambush" brought down the Sudanese.
The US financial rewards will be given if the factions participate in the government.
The party returns to Baghdad: A new chapter of de-escalation with rivals and support for the next government.
Did you miss the last My FX Buddies Episode? Catch it below:
Washington Pressures Iraq for Action Against Armed Factions
