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Source: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/pro-iran-militias-are-big-winners-iraqs-election
Pro-Iran Militias Are the Big Winners in Iraq's Election
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Khairuldeen Makhzoomi - The preliminary results of the 2025 Iraqi parliamentary election reveal that armed militias and their affiliated political actors have consolidated power. The Coordination Framework (CF) - the political umbrella that brings together the parliamentary arms of Iran-aligned militias - secured 119 seats. The CF's overall parliamentary bloc jumped to 165 seats, giving it unprecedented political weight, a sign of the deepening political dominance of Tehran-aligned forces. On Nov. 18, the CF declared itself the largest parliamentary bloc following the formal integration of additional Shia groups and individual MPs. This puts the CF in a decisive position to nominate the next prime minister and shape the formation of the new government. The U.S. must now decide how to engage with an Iraqi administration in which individuals linked to the U.S.-designated terrorist organizations hold substantial parliamentary authority. Tehran has gained an institutional victory through the ballot box.