Newspaper: Baghdad faces US pressure as deadline to name PM nears

Baghdad is facing mounting pressure from Washington alongside ongoing internal political disputes, as the process of selecting a new prime minister enters a critical phase, according to information reported by Lebanon-based Al-Akhbar newspaper.

A political source told the outlet that a visit by US envoy Tom Barrack to Baghdad may take place in the coming days. The source added that Barrack is already holding direct communications with a number of Iraqi political leaders regarding the prime minister selection process.

The developments come as the constitutional deadline to nominate a prime minister approaches. Under Iraqi law, the mandate must be assigned within 30 days from the date of the election of the president, increasing pressure on political factions to reach an agreement quickly.

This timeline is forcing Iraq’s political forces to accelerate decision-making in order to avoid a constitutional vacuum or a deeper political crisis.

In this context, political affairs researcher Ahmed Al-Ali told Al-Akhbar: “The next few days will be decisive in determining the course of the entire political process. The continuation of division may push toward the option of a compromise candidate at the last moment, as an emergency solution to avoid political collapse.”