Kurdistan

Iraq's Kurds emerge as Middle East's key diplomatic players at Munich Security Council - analysis

The KRG has helped smooth the transition in eastern Syria by working with Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces, also hosting US forces and other anti-ISIS coalition forces.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Nechirvan Barzani, President of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region, gives a joint press conference with France's Foreign Minister in Arbil, the regional capital, on February 5, 2026.
Members of the Kurdish community and other protesters attend a demonstration against recent military clashes between the Syrian army and Kurdish forces, in Berlin, Germany, January 24, 2026.

Kurds’ monumental role in defeating ISIS deserves recognition - analysis

As the anti-ISIS Coalition embraces Syria, the Kurdish role in the war on ISIS in Iraq and Syria also deserves recognition.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after US-backed alliance led by Syrian Kurdish fighters captured Deir el-Zor, in Syria December 7, 2024

Rojava defeated: Why Kurdish leadership must adapt or risk extinction - opinion

Kurdish political weaknesses and bad strategies are highlighted as risks for the region and Israel.

|ByAMED MARDIN
A MEMBER of the Kurdish Internal Security Forces rides on a car, while vehicles of the internal security forces of the Syrian government arrive in the city of Qamishli during the curfew, following an agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government on Tuesday.

Syria’s Sunni Islamist regime consolidates power, ending Kurdish autonomy

BEHIND THE LINES: The arrival of Syrian forces to Qamishli sets the seal on the effective demise of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).

|ByJONATHAN SPYER

Abdullah Ocalan calls on PKK to dissolve, regional leaders react

Regional leaders welcome calls for the PKK to lay down arms and dissolve.

FEBRUARY 27, 2025ByREUTERS
Syrian Kurds hold flags as they gather after Turkey's jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan called on his Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to lay down its arms on Thursday, a move that could end its 40-year conflict with Ankara and have far-reaching political and security consequences for the region,

Recognizing historical promise to Kurds secures strategic future for Israel - opinion

Under current considerations, Kurdistan is where Iran’s logistical access to its proxies can be disrupted.

FEBRUARY 3, 2025ByMEM HUSEDIN
AT THE UN General Assembly in 2019, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shared a map showing Turkey’s desired control of all of northern Syria. The writer asks: What would Turkey do next?

Iran continues to face resistance, increasing dissent at home - analysis

Iran’s regime now finds itself facing increasing dissent and challenges at home, with many groups opposing the regime.

NOVEMBER 18, 2024BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
‘A MONSTER’ – Members of the IRGC attend a ground forces military drill in the East Azerbaijan province of Iran in 2022.

Iraq's missing Yazidis: Inside the long search for Islamic State captives

A decade after the Islamic State's categorical assault on the Yazidis, families are fighting to reunite with loved ones long thought dead.

NOVEMBER 16, 2024ByREUTERS
Rojin Hadid Talal (C), a member of Iraq's Yazidi minority who was captured by the Islamic State militant group as a child, sits with his brother Aydin Hadid Talal (L) and uncle Saeed Talal (R) at their home in Khanke, in Dohuk governorate, Iraq, June 8, 2024.

Iraqi Kurdish government and Baghdad make progress on restarting oil exports

The ICC in Paris eliminated the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) independent pipeline exports through Turkey after granting the federal gov of Iraq rights to market all Iraqi oil.

NOVEMBER 10, 2024ByTHE MEDIA LINE
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani holds a joint news conference with his Kurdish counterpart Masrour Barzani in Baghdad, Iraq April 4, 2023.

Kurdistan regional elections mark a step forward for Iraq’s stability - analysis

Elections in the Kurdistan region are important because they provide a beacon of democracy for the region.

OCTOBER 22, 2024BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A Kurdish man votes at a polling station during Iraq's Kurdistan region parliamentary election, in Erbil, Iraq October 20, 2024.

Iraqi Kurds vote in regional election amid oil export crisis and political rifts

The elections come as the region grapples with the fallout from the suspension of its oil exports, a critical source of revenue.

OCTOBER 20, 2024ByREUTERS
A Kurdish man shows his inked finger during voting at a polling station during Iraq's Kurdistan region parliamentary election, in Sulaimaniya, Iraq October 20, 2024.

Iranian diplomat claims Israel threatens Iran from Iraq - analysis

His comments were reported by several media, including the Farsi language website ABS News and the Arabic media site Mideast News. 

SEPTEMBER 9, 2024BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A war between Israel and Iran (illustrative)

Syrian Kurdish forces release 50 Islamic State detainees

The agreement was reached between the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and local tribal leaders

SEPTEMBER 3, 2024ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF
Members of the Kurdish internal security forces (Asayish) patrol a street in the Kurdish-controlled city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria February 7, 2024.

Iraqi army downs Turkish military drone over Baghdad-administered territory

The drone was downed over the city's central district, damaging a house and injuring a worker at a nearby construction site.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2024ByTHE MEDIA LINE
An Iraqi Army helicopter flies during the "Solid Will" military operation against Islamic State militants in the desert of Anbar, Iraq April 23, 2022.