Iraqi Parliament elects Nizar Amedi as country’s new president
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The position of president is a largely ceremonial role. Iraq is now due to choose a prime minister - a closely-watched and sensitive pick.
PHOTO: REUTERS
DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts.
- Nizar Amedi, a Kurd, was elected Iraq's president on April 11 after the November 2025 election; the role is largely ceremonial.
- The selection of Iraq's prime minister is sensitive, with Trump threatening to withdraw support if al-Maliki, backed by Iran, is picked.
- US and Iranian officials met for talks in Islamabad on April 11 to end their six-week war, amidst Iraq's delicate position between them.
AI generated
BAGHDAD - The Iraqi Parliament on April 11 elected Kurdish politician Nizar Amedi as the country’s new president, a largely ceremonial role, following a parliamentary election in November 2025.
Mr Amedi, 58, is a former environment minister and has headed the political office of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Baghdad since 2024.
Iraq is now due to choose a prime minister, a closely-watched and sensitive pick.
US President Donald Trump threatened in January to withdraw Washington’s support for Iraq, a major oil producer, if former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki was designated to form a Cabinet.
An alliance of Shi’ite political blocs holding a parliamentary majority has nominated Iran-backed Mr Maliki, alarming Washington, which along with Israel waged a six-week war with Iran until a ceasefire was announced on April 7.
Senior US and Iranian officials were meeting in Islamabad on April 11 in the highest-level talks between Washington and Tehran in half a century in an effort to end the war.
In Iraq, which has long trodden a tightrope between Iran and the US, its closest allies, the prime minister wields significant power.
Under Iraq’s sectarian power-sharing system, the prime minister must be a Shi’ite Muslim, the parliamentary speaker a Sunni Muslim, and the president a Kurd. REUTERS
