Who are the rival Shiite politicians vying to fill Iraq’s political vacuum?

Supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr carry portraits of him as they gather in the city of Nasiriyah in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province on August 12, 2022 to protest the nomination of a rival Shiite faction’s candidate for prime minister. © Asaad Niazi, AFP

Ten months after the October 2021 parliamentary elections, Iraq is still mired in a political impasse that turned deadly Monday after Moqtada al-Sadr announced his resignation from politics. Supporters of the powerful cleric clashed with followers of rival Shiite parties, plunging Iraq into a crisis that could draw in regional powers. FRANCE 24 looks at the various players jostling for power.

Tensions have soared in Iraq following al-Sadr's shock resignation announcement on Monday, with the cleric's supporters storming the government palace in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.