Damascus Moves From Nominal to Physical Security Control in Hasakah
New on the SDF-Damascus integration agreement: Yesterday and today, a sizable number of Damascus-linked Syrian Interior and Defence Ministry personnel…
Why PJAK Remains Armed While the PKK’s Other Fronts Close
On 25 August, Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, announced from the People’s Palace in Damascus that the…
Why Syria’s Political Geography Looks Nothing Like Iraq’s
Comparisons between Syria and Iraq usually start from a shared premise: that both are weak states trying to govern populations…
Written by
Arivan
SDF Dissolution and the Final Integration Deal: What Damascus Gained and What Remains Unclear
On the latest SDF-Damascus integration agreement:
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Arivan
Why Was KRG PM Masrour Barzani’s Office Targeted?
The attack on Masrour Barzani’s office on August 17th and a resting house belonging to one of the KDP’s key intelligence officials was likely connected to the ongoing Iraqi-Iranian negotiations…
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Arivan
Turkey Nears Certifying the PKK Dissolved as PJAK Expands Along the Iranian Frontier
Turkey’s parliament passed the Law called ‘Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration’ in early August, the framework governing the return and legal reintegration of PKK members. However, for the law…
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Written by
Arivan
The Kurdistan Region’s Emerging Strategic Geography
The Kurdistan Region’s energy and industrial map shows an emerging strategic geography in which the KDP and PUK, the two ruling parties that already run separate administrative systems inside one…
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Arivan
Iraq’s Weapons Deadline: What Is Actually Being Negotiated Before 30 September
The argument over Iraq’s armed factions is an argument inside the Shia political establishment about how to protect what it has held since 2003. One camp has concluded that state…
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Written by
Arivan
Iran’s Kurdish Attribution War: Who Really Has Fighters Inside Iran?
Armed attacks inside Iranian Kurdistan have increased since the ceasefire that ended the six-week war on 8 April 2026 and was formalised by the memorandum of understanding signed on 17…
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Written by
Arivan
What happens now after Turkey’s PKK framework law has been approved?
A new phase has opened with the Turkish parliament’s approval of a framework law on PKK disarmament. It is the first law to come out of direct negotiations conducted with…
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