Four major Shiite factions announce their withdrawal from the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and the former Najaf governor Adnan Al-Zurfi is nominated to head the next government. Both steps can be seen as a serious blow for Iran’s proxies in Iraq at a time when the latter have not yet recovered from the loss of the commander of the Quds-Forces Qassem Soleimani and Deputy Chairman of the PMF Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis in an American strike near Baghdad airport. The reasons for the withdrawal of the four factions are internal differences and their opposition to the increasing influence of Iran within the PMF.