Iraq parliament approves al-Zaidi’s cabinet amid growing economic concerns

Iraq’s parliament completed the formation of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government by approving 11 vacant cabinet posts and three deputy prime ministers. Nayef al-Shammari was named defence minister and Yasir al-Maliki interior minister, while a vote on the migration and displacement minister was postponed amid party disagreements. One approved deputy prime minister is Laith al-Khazali, a senior figure in the Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq movement, which the United States designated a foreign terrorist organisation. Al-Zaidi said the government must tackle economic and security challenges as Iraq faces severe liquidity shortages linked to the war and reduced oil revenues.