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.

Iraqi FM and presidential candidate Fuad Hussein confirmed that Mark Savaya no longer serves as President Donald Trump’s envoy to Iraq, noting that Tom Barrack now oversees the Iraqi portfolio.

Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework backs Nouri al-Maliki for prime minister despite U.S. opposition and internal warnings of risks.

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.