Is Abadi looking to return to prime minister’s post?

Former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi has resigned from the Islamic Dawa Party, raising questions about his possible return to the premiership.

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced May 31 his resignation from all his positions in the Islamic Dawa Party, whose politburo he headed. His move raised questions about his potential plans to return to the prime minister’s post.

Abadi also met with Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad on June 11; the former prime minister discussed the bilateral relationship between the two countries and also expressed his support for Iran against the sanctions imposed by the United States. The meeting, which was the first of its kind since his departure as prime minister, was read as an attempt to improve his relationship with Iran, which has a big influence in Iraqi politics.

Abadi also met with the new-appointed US ambassador, Matthew Tueller in Jun. 13. They discussed the overall political situation in Iraq and the region.

Abadi’s political career began in and developed through Dawa. The party was formed in 1957, and it monopolized the prime minister’s post from 2005 until 2018, when Abadi stepped down in favor of independent political candidate Adel Abdul Mahdi, who was the consensus choice of the two largest parliamentary blocs. These two blocs are Al-Islah, which includes the Abadi-led Victory Alliance and the Sairoon Alliance led by Muqtada al-Sadr, and the Construction Bloc led by Hadi al-Amiri, which includes political wings from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMU) and factions that are strongly tied to Iran.

Read more: Al-monitor.com