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KRG Oil Exports to Hit 250,000 Barrels Daily in November, Sold as Kirkuk Crude at Ceyhan
The KRG’s oil exports are set to rise by 86% in November compared to October, with Iraq’s state oil marketer SOMO scheduled to load 250,000 barrels per day at the…
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Arivan
PKK Announces Withdrawal of Fighters Inside Turkey, Signals Next Phase in Peace Process
The PKK says it has withdrawn all of its fighters inside Turkey as part of the ongoing peace process with the Turkish state. At the press conference where the announcement…
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Arivan
Tribes, Alliances, and Margins: Inside Kirkuk’s Tight Parliamentary Race
Kirkuk will send thirteen lawmakers to Baghdad next month—twelve through Iraq’s modified Sainte-Laguë proportional system and one Christian quota seat elected on a separate roll. With two weeks remaining, the…
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Arivan
What US Sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil Mean for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region
The US Treasury on Wednesday sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil—Russia’s largest and third-largest oil exporters—citing “Moscow’s serious non-compliance with the peace process to end the war in Ukraine.” The EU followed…
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Arivan
Who Are the Main Challengers for Iraq’s Nine Minority Quota Seats in the November 2025 Elections?
Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections, slated for November 11, 2025, will allocate nine out of 329 seats to minority communities. Five seats are reserved for Christians, and one seat each for…
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Arivan
Trump’s Special Envoy Appointment Signals Shift to “Backstage” Deals in Iraq
U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed Mark Savaya as his special envoy to Iraq, signaling a renewed American focus on the country, particularly on sensitive files such as countering Iranian…
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Arivan
A Year After Kurdistan’s Regional Elections, Government Formation Remains Stalled
The Kurdistan Region’s two main parties, the KDP and PUK, remain deadlocked over cabinet formation as a full year passes since the October 2024 elections. This makes the Kurdistan Region…
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Arivan
Three Divisions or Three Corps? Damascus and SDF Give Conflicting Accounts
While SDF commander Mazloum Abdi has been publicly optimistic about recent meetings with Damascus regarding the SDF’s integration into the Syrian army, even suggesting a “preliminary agreement” has been reached,…
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Arivan
Tribal Alliances, Party Machines and Big Money Fuel Anbar’s Fiercest Election Battle
Anbar province is heading into one of the most heated and complex electoral battles in post-2003 Iraq, as tribal blocs, party organizations and external backing converge to reshape the balance…
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Arivan
Syria–SDF Talks Intensify But Core Disputes Over Governance and Military Integration Block Breakthrough
A senior official from the SDF-backed northeast Syria administration has told The National Context that the SDF and Syrian government have so far only agreed to “engage in dialogue as…
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