ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Iraqi parliament on Thursday voted to appoint Laith al-Khazali, the US-designated senior leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), as one of the deputies to Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, despite Washington’s repeated rejection of the appointment of Iran-linked individuals in the new Iraqi government.

Laith was one of three deputies appointed during the Thursday session, with the other two being Mohammed Ali Tamim of the Sunni Taqadum Party and Asas Coalition leader Muhsin al-Mandalawi.

The exact jurisdictions and responsibilities of the deputy prime ministers remain unconfirmed, but Zaidi had previously informed the parliament that the elected individual will not be entitled to salaries or financial allocations for their role, nor will they be making new appointments for their offices.

Laith, who represents the Sadiqoun bloc, AAH’s political wing, expressed appreciation to Iraq’s political forces and Zaidi on his appointment in a statement shortly after the parliamentary session, vowing to work with all parties and institutions “based on the principle that serving Iraq and the interests of its people is a priority that takes precedence over all others, and that the success of government work is a shared national responsibility.”

In terms of his qualifications, Laith holds a PhD in political science and business economics, and is also a faculty member at Gilgamesh University and lecturer at the College of Political Science, University of Baghdad.

Qais al-Khazali, AAH chief and Laith’s older brother, released a statement on Thursday night, celebrating the completion of Zaidi’s cabinet and the selection of his deputies as “a national achievement,” without directly mentioning his brother.

“We commend the responsible role played by all political forces, prioritizing the supreme national interest over partisan considerations, thus demonstrating the maturity of the Iraqi political process and its commitment to stability,” read the statement from Qais.

AAH is an Iran-backed Iraqi Shiite militia group founded by Qais al-Khazali in July 2006, after splitting from Muqtada al-Sadr’s Jaish al-Mahdi (Mahdi Army) in 2004. The group claimed responsibility for more than 6,000 attacks on the US-led coalition forces in Iraq between 2006 and 2011.

In March 2007, the Khazali brothers were arrested in Basra by British forces. Laith was released in June 2008, while Qais was transferred from American custody to Iraqi authorities in late December 2009, in exchange for the release of Peter Moore, a British IT consultant kidnapped by AAH in May 2007.

In January 2020, the US State Department designated the AAH and the Khazali brothers as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, labeling them “violent proxies of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

“Acting on behalf of their masters in Tehran, they use violence and terror to further the Iranian regime’s efforts to undermine Iraqi sovereignty,” said then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, adding that AAH is “extensively funded and trained by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force.”

The Khazali brothers were also sanctioned by the US Treasury in December 2019 for their involvement in “serious human rights abuses in Iraq, including approving the use of lethal force against protesters for the purpose of public intimidation.”

Zaidi has enjoyed staunch support from the US since assuming office in May, and has already met with US President Donald Trump on two separate occasions since his appointment, including a previously unscheduled meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in late September.

Washington has demanded the exclusion of figures belonging to or backed by Iran-aligned armed factions from top executive posts regardless of their parliamentary weight and political entitlements.

In September, Iraqi officials and politicians told The New Region that US officials had threatened to boycott Zaidi’s government and impose economic sanctions against Iraq if such appointments take place.

US Representative Joe Wilson strongly censured Laith’s appointment, describing him as an “Iranian puppet whose militia AAH killed Americans and Iraqis.”

“He is no better than ISIS, maybe even worse. It is outrageous but sadly not shocking that he has been appointed deputy PM of Iraq,” Wilson wrote on X.

Qais al-Khazali was among the first faction leaders to publicly respond to Zaidi’s call for disarmament, announcing AAH’s readiness to join the government’s program to restrict weapons to the state.

The move was a natural next step for Khazali to complete his transition to political activity, a process which had begun years earlier, particularly after the candidates of Sadiqoun bloc achieved significant gains in the November 2025 parliamentary elections.

In addition to Laith’s appointment as deputy prime minister, the Sadiqoun bloc achieved another major milestone during Thursday’s parliamentary session after its representative Mohammed al-Moussawi was elected as Iraq’s Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.