Iraqi election results leave Iran scrambling to preserve influence
Iran is pushing its allies in Iraq, particularly the State of Law Coalition and the Fatah coalition, to form the largest bloc in the parliament in order to prevent Muqtada al-Sadr from leading the formation of the new government, which would affect Tehran's influence in the country.
The Sairoon (On the Move) Alliance formed by Muqtada al-Sadr and the Iraqi Communist Party is ahead in the preliminary results of the Iraqi elections. More than 90% of the votes in all of Iraq's provinces have been counted so far, with the exception of Dahuk and Kirkuk, where counting was postponed.
Sairoon has so far secured 54 out of a total of 329 parliamentary seats, while the Al-Fatah Alliance, formed by the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Units, has won 44 seats, followed by 39 seats for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's Al-Nasr Alliance. The State of Law Coalition led by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Malik has secured 25 seats, and the Al-Wataniya Alliance of former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has obtained 22 seats.
