The makeup of Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi’s new government revealed the absence of any figure directly affiliated with armed factions, raising a central question over how far the U.S. succeeded in pushing those groups out of power as part of its conditions for maintaining ties with Baghdad and continuing political support.

Gulf anger toward Iraq is rising fast over attacks launched from its territory since the U.S. began its war on Iran, with tensions escalating further after Kuwait was struck on April 24, reviving urgent questions about Iraq’s relations with its Arab neighbors after years of cautious improvement.

The Houthis in Yemen have emerged as one of Iran’s most visible and consequential regional proxies, stepping beyond a local war to become a key player closely tied to the calculations of an increasingly internationalized confrontation.

Judge Faiq Zaidan, a figure close to Iran, has recently emerged in the open amid infighting within the Shiite camp, particularly over objections to Nouri al-Maliki’s bid to return as prime minister.

With the approval of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, for the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki, a senior figure in Iraq’s SCF, to assume the post of prime minister for a third term, questions have intensified over how the United States might respond to this.