Nasrallah Denies Involvement in Iraq's Prime Minister Selection

Shortly after a report emerged about Muqtada al-Sadr's agreement to support Adel Abdul-Mahdi's premiership following a meeting with Hassan Nasrallah and Qassem Soleimani, Nasrallah rejected claims regarding Lebanon's involvement in the selection of Iraq's Prime Minister. In a speech on Friday, October 19, he also stated that there is no agreement between Iran and the United States concerning the selection of the Speaker of Parliament, President, and Prime Minister of Iraq. He emphasized, 'Those who speak of an Iranian-American understanding are ignorant.' Previously, the Al-Monitor website reported that Muqtada al-Sadr met with Hassan Nasrallah, with Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, also present. According to this report, Muqtada al-Sadr expressed his agreement with Abdul-Mahdi's premiership during this meeting. Al-Sadr and Hadi al-Amiri, leaders of the Sairoon-Fatah coalition faction, have approached an agreement on Abdul-Mahdi's premiership in their recent negotiations. In the Iraqi parliamentary elections, the Sairoon coalition, which includes al-Sadr's supporters and several other parties including the Iraqi Communist Party, won 54 seats, the Fatah coalition led by Hadi al-Amiri and linked to Shiite militias won 47 seats, the Nasr coalition led by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi won 42 seats, and the State of Law coalition led by Nouri al-Maliki won 25 seats. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated on September 25 at a press conference at the United Nations that Iraq has long been under Iranian influence and that the dynamics there are dictated by 'the Ayatollah' (Ali Khamenei) and Qassem Soleimani, but since Donald Trump's administration came to power, the situation has changed, and the U.S. seeks a government in Iraq that considers the national interests of the country. The Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Lebanon, also denied Iran's involvement in forming the Lebanese government. He also denied reports about his meeting with Gebran Bassil, the Foreign Minister and leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, discussing the necessity of forming a government before U.S. sanctions against Iran. Hassan Nasrallah stated that the formation of the Lebanese government is limited to the President and Prime Minister, and Hezbollah 'never imposes its demands on Lebanese political movements.' Since the parliamentary elections in May, a new government has not yet been formed in Lebanon due to disagreements among the groups and parties present in the Lebanese parliament. Qassem Soleimani stated on May 5 that Hezbollah won 74 out of 128 seats in the Lebanese parliament for the first time, transforming from a resistance party to a resistance government. Saad Hariri, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, expressed regret over these remarks. The Lebanese parliamentary elections, held after nine years in May, ended a political deadlock in the country over a new electoral law and the extension of the parliament's term. Hezbollah's position and that of its allies improved in this election.