Iraq's Coordination Framework (the dominant parliamentary alliance of Shia parties, holding roughly 185 of 329 seats) has yet to nominate a prime ministerial candidate more than five months after parliamentary elections, with a constitutional deadline of 26 April fast approaching. Incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is seeking a second term but faces opposition from within the bloc, while former PM Nouri al-Maliki has been publicly warned off by US President Trump, who threatened to withdraw American support for Iraq if al-Maliki is chosen. The deadlock matters beyond Iraq's borders: the head of Iran's Quds Force made an unannounced visit to Baghdad over the weekend to help break the impasse, reflecting how the contest for Iraq's top job has become entangled in the wider US-Iran confrontation, with both powers pressing for an outcome that serves their competing interests in the region.