By Muayad Hameed and Ahmed Rasheed

Item 1 of 3 A man holds an election poster featuring current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, with fireworks in the background, as supporters of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition celebrate after preliminary election results were announced in Baghdad, Iraq, November 12, 2025. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad

[1/3] A man holds an election poster featuring current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, with fireworks in the background, as supporters of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition celebrate after preliminary election results were announced in Baghdad, Iraq, November 12, 2025. REUTERS/Ahmed… Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab Read more

BAGHDAD, Nov 17 (Reuters) – Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s political bloc won the most seats in Iraq’s election, final election results showed on Monday, but a new government could still be months away due to wrangling to build a majority.

The next government will need to navigate the delicate balance between U.S. and Iranian influence. It must manage dozens of armed groups that are closer to Iran and answerable more to their own leaders than to the state, all while facing growing pressure from Washington to dismantle those militias.

Sudani’s list came in first with 46 seats in the 329-member parliament, the election commission said.

The Taqaddum Party, which draws support from Iraq’s mainly Sunni west and north, won 27 seats. Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law group won 29 seats, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) secured 26 seats, according to the results issued by the commission.

The final total turnout in Iraq’s parliamentary election reached 56.11%, according to the commission.

Parties in Iraq’s Shi’ite ruling alliance said after the results were announced that they consider themselves the largest bloc in parliament. In a statement issued after a meeting attended by Sudani, the alliance said it would move ahead with nominating a prime minister for the next phase.

Sudani had been seeking a second term in last week’s election, but many disillusioned young voters saw the vote simply as a vehicle for established parties to divide Iraq’s oil wealth.

However, he has tried to cast himself as a leader who could make Iraq a success after years of instability, arguing he had moved against established parties that brought him to power.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Suggested Topics:

Read Next

ago Middle East category

ago Middle East category

ago Middle East category

ago Middle East category

ago United States category

ago Middle East category

President Donald Trump said on Monday he has not ruled out putting American forces on the ground in Venezuela, while expressing a willingness to hear directly from Nicolas Maduro regarding the Venezuelan leader’s proposals to avert further U.S. military escalation.

Site Index

About Reuters

Stay Informed

Information you can trust

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world’s media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.

Read More