Can new Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi meet Trump’s expectations?

President Donald Trump has set high expectations for Iraq’s newly designated prime minister, Ali al Zaidi, expectations that reflect Washington’s long-standing hope for a stable, reliable partner in Baghdad.

But Iraq’s reality is far more complicated. In Iraq, leadership is not just about capability — it is about constraint. And those constraints are built into the system itself. Al Zaidi did not rise to power through a reform movement or popular momentum; he was elevated by the Coordination Framework, a bloc widely associated with Iran-aligned political forces and militia-backed influence.