The Sairoon (On the Move) Alliance of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is set to win Iraq's parliamentary elections — an unexpected outcome that has caught the attention of Iranian media.
Over 91% of votes in 16 of Iraq's 18 provinces have been counted so far, and based on the announced results, Iran-backed Shiite politician Hadi al-Ameri's Fatah (Conquest) Coalition is in second place, while current Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's Nasr (Victory) Coalition came in third.