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.

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.

Over three consecutive meetings, Iraq’s National Sunni Political Council has failed to agree on a single candidate for the post of parliament speaker, the highest office representing the Sunni bloc under the country’s political norms since 2003.

All Sunni parties that won seats in the Iraqi election announced the formation of the National Political Council, positioning it as a unified umbrella similar to the Shiite Coordination Framework.

Iraq’s top Sunni cleric Rafi al-Rifa’i has returned to Baghdad after 11 years, sparking sectarian tensions and legal disputes amid shifting political and regional dynamics.