Politics & Policy

Barzani Receives Barham Salih—but Not Bafel Talabani: What the Quiet Rift Reveals About Kurdish Politics

Today, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) president Masoud Barzani met with former Iraqi President Barham Salih, an encounter that highlights the…

Historic Syrian Kurdish Unity Conference Rescheduled for April 26

The commander of the SDF and the de facto leader of Kurdish-led Northeast Syria has set a new date of…

Why Was the Syrian Kurdish National Conference Abruptly Postponed?

The anticipated Syrian Kurdish national conference, originally scheduled for today, has been postponed with no new date announced. The conference…

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Arivan

US Military To Withdraw Entirely from SDF-held Oil-Rich Deir Ezzor Province

Following a tentative agreement reached last month between the Damascus-based government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with the knowledge of the United States and Turkey, US troops are reportedly…
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Arivan

Why Is Nechirvan Barzani Meeting with Macron in Paris?

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani has met today with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. The meeting comes on the heels of Barzani’s visits to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan…
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Arivan

US Secretary of State Urges Resumption of KRG Oil Exports in Call with Masrour Barzani

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call with KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to press for the resumption of the KRG’s suspended oil exports. While Washington has…
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Arivan

Spheres of Influence: Turkey, Israel, and the Future of Northeast Syria

During the Trump–Netanyahu press conference yesterday, President Trump made it clear he intends to accommodate Erdogan’s demands. He even claimed that Turkey had effectively “taken over Syria,” something he said…
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Arivan

The KRG Oil Crisis: How Iraq’s 2023 Legal Victory Evolved into a Strategic Vulnerability

Our recent analysis on KRG oil exports has drawn notable attention—prompting a response from APIKUR, followed shortly by a statement from the Iraqi Oil Ministry addressing APIKUR’s remarks. Both responses…
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Arivan

Why International Oil Companies Are in No Rush to Resume KRG Oil Exports

Despite the KRG agreeing to a $16-per-barrel production cost and increasing U.S. pressure for exports to resume, and despite repeated promises by Iraq’s oil minister that exports would restart “in…
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Arivan

Turkmen Front Power Struggle Escalates as Erşat Salihi Defies Leadership by Embracing Expelled Kirkuk Deputy Governor

The internal divisions within the Iraqi Turkmen Front have erupted into the open, following Kirkuk Deputy Governor Yavuz Hamid’s public alignment with the faction led by Erşat Salihi. Hamid, previously…
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