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.

The Karkh Central Prison in Baghdad, formerly known as Cropper, has come under repeated rocket attacks since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, amid growing instability across Iraq.

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.

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.