Sudani defiant amid confrontation with Shia backers

PM Sudani’s Sunday address did little to mitigate the growing discontent among his Shia backers over the wiretapping scandal, marking the potential onset of a new phase of confrontation between him and the Coordination Framework.

After two weeks of speculation about Sudani's political future and potential resignation, his appearance in a 13-minute pre-recorded speech was highly anticipated. Many expected him to directly address the allegations implicating him in the wiretapping scandal. Instead, his speech primarily focused on enumerating his government’s accomplishments over the past couple of years, deliberately sidestepping any attempt to deny the accusations against him.

This omission signals two important dynamics. First, it suggests that the accusations of his direct involvement in wiretapping may hold validity. If Sudani were uninvolved, a strong and explicit denial would have been expected, rather than evasive comments dismissing the scandal as exaggerated. Second, it indicates that Sudani is banking on his record of achievements to manage the dissent within the Coordination Framework, possibly leveraging public approval as a buffer against political attacks.