Iraq's nationwide holiday for Khamenei funeral strains Baghdad-Washington ties

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zidani declared a one-day public holiday on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, applying the order nationwide and beyond the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. The decision was made under pressure from the Iran-backed Coordination Framework alliance allied with the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) and other armed Shia groups, according to the source. The holiday covered provinces with no direct connection to the funeral ceremonies, including Anbar, Nineveh and the Kurdistan Region, creating friction between local administrations and the central government in Baghdad. The U.S. administration has interpreted the move as a sign of Zidani's limited capacity to act independently of Iranian influence and as a concession to pressure from armed factions, the source said. Zidani is preparing for an upcoming visit to Washington, where expectations have grown for concrete steps on arms restrictions, anti-corruption measures and the rollback of Iranian political and economic influence in Iraq. The trip is set to test Baghdad's willingness to align with the U.S. policy framework and is expected to shape the trajectory of the Baghdad-Washington relationship.