A Najafi source: Al-Sadr's contact with Al-Zaydi constitutes a "shock" within the Coordination Framework forces, and there are fears of support for Al-Hanana.
5/18/2026
A source in Najaf revealed that the phone call made by the leader of the Shiite National Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, to Prime Minister Ali al-Zidi constituted a “shock” within the forces of the Coordination Framework, in light of what he described as growing fears about the repercussions of al-Sadr’s support for al-Zidi on the balance of political power.
The source said that al-Sadr’s support for al-Zaydi “will put him in a stronger position against the interventions of some of the cadre leaders,” noting that al-Sadr sees in al-Zaydi “a figure who possesses the necessary determination to correct the course of the political process and save the country,” as he put it.
He added that al-Sadr supports the government's approach to combating corruption, and believes that the current stage requires giving the Prime Minister more space to implement real reforms away from political pressures and partisan rivalries.
The source indicated that the atmosphere of concern within the coordination framework escalated after the contact, amid estimates that any rapprochement between Al-Sadr and Al-Zaydi could redraw political alliances during the next stage.