As Iraqi prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi pushes ahead with efforts to form a new government, the U.S. is simultaneously imposing sanctions on Iraqi figures and leaders of armed factions, while issuing repeated warnings against including such groups in the upcoming cabinet.

The thorniest issue facing Iraq’s prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, is the fate of the country’s armed factions, as pressure from Washington intensifies to dismantle groups, particularly those with ties to Iran.

Despite being appointed prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi is not known for his prior involvement in direct politics or for holding government positions after the US-led invasion of Iraq.

As questions mount over the future of Iraq’s Sunni-majority provinces in the aftermath of the U.S.-Israeli War on Iran, most Sunni political leaders remain notably absent.

In a fresh twist around Iraq’s prime ministership, remarks by Donald Trump have set off a wave of debate inside Iraq’s political class, with questions swirling over how to read his words and what they might signal.