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Parallel Deadlines: SDF Integration and PKK Peace Process Both Set for Year-End
In a recent interview, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa stated that the timeline for SDF integration into the Syrian army was set for the year’s end, with other actors, namely Turkey,…
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Arivan
Tentative Oil Deal Stalls as DNO Holds Out; Baghdad Approves KRG July Salaries
Despite upbeat statements from both KRG and Iraqi officials suggesting an imminent breakthrough on the resumption of Kurdistan’s oil exports, no final agreement has yet been reached. Ali Nizar, director…
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Arivan
Iraq’s Sunni Politics in 2025: from Taqaddum’s Dominance to a Three-Way Contest
The early campaigns for Iraq’s November 11 parliamentary elections began well ahead of schedule, long before the official one-month window. Unlike previous rounds where appeals to cross-sectarian unity or “pan-Iraqi…
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Arivan
Did al-Sharaa Really Threaten the SDF with a Turkish Operation?
A statement attributed to Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa has circulated widely in Syrian, Turkish, and Kurdish media. It alleged that during a meeting with a group of experts, al-Sharaa…
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Arivan
US Concerned by ENKS’s Unilateral Visit to Meet with Al-Sharaa, ENKS Leader Admits
Muhammad Ismail, president of the Syrian Kurdish National Council (ENKS), has admitted that the US and France expressed “concern” after the ENKS unilaterally accepted an invitation to Damascus to meet…
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Arivan
Is there finally a breakthrough in the KRG oil dispute?
Iraq’s Council of Ministers has approved a preliminary framework, reportedly jointly reached with the KRG and oil companies, to find a middle ground in the long-running KRG oil dispute. Talks…
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Arivan
Northeast Syria schools reopen as tighter curriculum policy risks deepening rift with Damascus
Schools in northeast Syria have reopened for the first academic year since the Assad regime’s collapse. The northeast Syrian administration has tightened enforcement of its own curriculum while negotiations with…
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Arivan
ENKS maneuvers between Damascus and the SDF to boost its leverage
Two days after the Syrian Kurdish National Council (ENKS) announced it had been invited to meet with Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, the group revealed it had also presented a…
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Arivan
Why the KRG Oil Negotiations Are Unparalleled in the World
The negotiations to resume KRG oil exports have seen little tangible progress despite months of talks and sustained U.S. pressure. Iraqi officials have repeatedly promised that exports would restart “any…
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Arivan
Barzani-backed Syrian Kurdish council to meet with Syrian leaders in Damascus
A senior delegation from the Syrian Kurdish National Council (better known as KNKS), a Barzani-aligned umbrella group, is preparing to visit Damascus to meet with Syrian officials including interim president…
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