Iraqi government denies reports Prime Minister al-Zaydi plans to resign

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A senior Iraqi government source has denied reports that Prime Minister Ali Shami al-Zaydi is considering stepping down, calling the claims baseless. The source said allegations that al-Zaydi had signaled an intention to resign under pressure over financial and administrative corruption files did not reflect reality. The source described the reports as deliberately fabricated to weaken al-Zaydi's position, saying the information was being circulated by "brokers and thieves" running a campaign to destabilize the prime minister by mixing real obstacles with invented ones. The government source added that al-Zaydi was continuing to carry out his duties with determination. The denial follows an Al Arabiya report citing a source within the Coordination Framework coalition, which claimed al-Zaydi had threatened to resign over what it described as insufficient cooperation from political partners on several outstanding files. No further details were immediately available on what prompted the Al Arabiya report or any response from the Coordination Framework.