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.

For days during Eid, Mishaan al-Khazraji—the head of Iraq’s Sunni Endowment—dominated headlines and social media after sparking what became known as the “crescent crisis” among Iraqi Sunnis.

In a defining moment for Iraq's political landscape, Mohammad Salman, a prominent leader in al-Siyada (Sovereignty) Alliance, declared that the newly formed “Unified Sunni Leadership Coalition” is the “legitimate and true representative of Iraq’s Sunni community."