After the American occupation of Iraq, Shiite militias took control of Al-Rahman Mosque and are using the surrounding lands as a parking lot.

[7] Architect Saher al-Qaisi was assigned to prepare the design and implementation plans for a new large mosque project through a contract between the Presidency of the Diwan and the University of Baghdad, provided that the work takes place from al-Idrisi Center of the Ministry of Housing and Construction.

The new design included private and public corridors, the main minaret, the summer chapel, entrances, and service buildings as well as facades, measurements, and locations.

[8] The second phase began in 1999 under the orders of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and was designed to match the Taj Mahal in India and be one of the largest mosques in the world as well as accommodating 15,000 worshippers.

It would've represented the embodiment of the features of Arab, Islamic and Iraqi architecture in contemporary artistic and technical ways and was planned to be completed by 2010.

[1][9] The mosque's construction site was also taken over by the Iranian-backed Islamic Virtue Party due to its vast area, and its location in al-Mansour district.