"The more time is given to these militia groups, I think the more difficult it will be for the U.S. and also for any future Iraqi government to tackle them."—Director @yerevansaeed.bsky.social for @mbnenglish.bsky.social. Read here: alhurra.com/en/31051

Speaking with @mbnenglish.bsky.social, Director @yerevansaeed.bsky.social discussed the Kurdistan Region's security challenges, including Iran-backed militias, Baghdad's limited authority, and how U.S. pressure could strengthen regional security. Read here: alhurra.com/en/31051

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani visited Damascus for talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Syria’s transition, Kurdish rights, implementation of the SDF integration agreement, border security, and regional cooperation. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/...

Iraqi Kurdish regional leader meets Syrian president in Damascus

Barzani meets Syria's al-Sharaa in Damascus to discuss SDF integration and Kurdish rights in post-Assad Syria.

aljazeera.com

Today marks the anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide, when ISIS launched a campaign to eradicate the Yazidi community in Sinjar through mass killings, forced displacement, enslavement, and forced conversions.

July 31 marks the 43rd anniversary of the Barzani Genocide, which commemorates the systematic abduction and execution of thousands of Barzani men and boys by Iraq’s Ba’ath regime.

Thousands of displaced Syrian Kurds are still waiting to return to Ras al-Ain seven years after Turkey's 2019 offensive. Despite a deal between Damascus and the SDF, many say insecurity and occupied homes continue to prevent their return. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Syria's Kurds still waiting to go home despite govt deal

At a desolate Syrian camp, home to thousands of displaced Kurds, Ahmad Oussi appealed for help to return to his hometown, seven years after a Turkish offensive drove him out. Residents of the Talaeh c...

al-monitor.com

Signed on July 24, 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne redrew the political map of the Middle East. It marked the end of provisions for Kurdish self-determination and left Kurdish communities divided across modern-day Türkiye, Iraq, Syria, and Iran. www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/927...

A Century of Denial: Today Marks 103 Years Since the Treaty of Lausanne

The 1923 accord replaced an earlier promise of Kurdish independence and split Greater Kurdistan among four states, a division still felt across the region today.

kurdistan24.net

Iran has renewed drone and missile strikes on Kurdish Iranian opposition groups based in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, deepening regional instability and prompting several major energy companies to suspend operations, The Long War Journal reports. www.longwarjournal.org/archives/202...

Iran renews attacks on Kurdish Iranian opposition groups in Iraq

Iran has intensified drone and missile attacks on Kurdish Iranian opposition groups and energy infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq amid renewed tensions with the United States. Mea...

longwarjournal.org

Dana Gas temporarily shut down production at the Khor Mor gas field over "credible security threats," reducing electricity generation in the Kurdistan Region by 2,500 MW. The field supplies gas for about 90% of the Region's electricity—964 Media. en.964media.com/49689/

Kurdistan Region loses 2,500 MW as Khor Mor shuts over security threats

ERBIL — Electricity generation across the Kurdistan Region fell by 2,500 megawatts on Thursday after the opera

en.964media.com

The KRG condemned renewed Iranian missile and drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region, warning they threaten regional peace and security. It urged Iran to halt the strikes and called on Baghdad and the international community to respond, per The New Region. thenewregion.com/posts/5913

KRG condemns ‘unjustified’ attacks on Kurdistan Region

“The continuation of these attacks constitutes a grave threat to regional peace and security and risks further destabilizing the entire region,” KRG said in a statement.

thenewregion.com

In a new piece for Emirates Policy Center, Director @yerevansaeed.bsky.social argues Iraq’s Gulf tensions reflect a deeper sovereignty crisis. As Iran-backed militias strain regional ties, the Kurdistan Region could emerge as a key channel for Gulf engagement. www.epc.ae/en/details/f...

Iraq as a Neighborhood Problem.. How a Decade of Gulf Diplomacy Collapsed during the Iran War

Three days after Ali al-Zaidi was sworn in as Iraq’s new prime minister in May, three drones launched from Iraqi territory targeted critical infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including

epc.ae

Speaking with The New Region, Director @yerevansaeed.bsky.social discussed reports of increasing Iranian pressure on Baghdad and Erbil over Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, highlighting the growing security and diplomatic challenges facing the KRG. thenewregion.com/posts/5761

Iran allegedly pressuring Iraq to expel Kurdish opposition groups

Reports that Iran has ramped up pressure on Iranian Kurdish dissident groups in the Kurdistan Region, who have faced relentless Iranian strikes during the recent regional war, have placed Baghdad and ...

thenewregion.com

German-born Kurdish boxer Agit Kabayel was crowned the WBC World Heavyweight Champion, becoming the first Kurdish heavyweight world champion in history. english.anf-news.com/kurdistan/ku...

Kurdish boxer Agit Kabayel crowned world heavyweight champion

Following Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish all of his heavyweight titles, the World Boxing Council (WBC) officially declared Germany-born Kurdish boxer Agit Kabayel the new W...

english.anf-news.com

Germany's Deniz Undav did more than score goals at the World Cup. The son of Yazidi refugees has become a symbol of hope and pride for Yazidi and Kurdish communities with no national teams of their own. apnews.com/article/deni...

Deniz Undav’s World Cup success for Germany lifts Yazidi and Kurdish pride

A standout at the World Cup, Deniz Undav is playing for Germany while representing his Yazidi and Kurdish heritage.

apnews.com

Iraq has instructed oil companies in the Kurdistan Region to resume operations starting today, marking a major step toward restoring production after conflict-related disruptions and drone attacks on energy infrastructure, @thenationalnews.com reports. www.thenationalnews.com/business/ene...

Iraq tells oil companies in Kurdistan to resume operations | The National

Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi wants activities back online on Thursday after meeting regional and company leaders

thenationalnews.com

Speaking with The Wyoming Star, Director @yerevansaeed.bsky.social discusses the Gulf’s growing security dilemma, as weakened US deterrence forces GCC states to choose between deeper regional conflict and settlement with Tehran. Read here: wyomingstarnews.org/2026/05/22/t...

Director @yerevansaeed.bsky.social comments on Washington's frustration with Peshmerga forces over stalled reforms and the failure to unite KDP- and PUK-affiliated forces under one command with The New Region. Read here: thenewregion.com/posts/5439

Speaking with ISPI, Director @yerevansaeed.bsky.social discusses Iraq’s credibility concerns with its GCC neighbors, as years of diplomatic repair and regional reintegration are being jeopardized by militia attacks launched from Iraqi territory. Read here: www.ispionline.it/en/publicati...

NextGen Voices: Susan Zibari details her transition from business to public policy, her experiences balancing work on Capitol Hill with graduate studies, and her commitment to advancing Kurdish representation and public service. www.american.edu/sis/research...

NextGen Voices: Susan Zibari

NextGen Voices: Susan Zibari

american.edu

Art and Culture: Huner Emin draws on the Kurdish experience of fragmentation, shaped by borders, various forms of colonialism, and cultural divisions, to employ art as a means of resistance and remembrance. www.american.edu/sis/research...

Art and Culture: Huner Emin

Art and Culture: Huner Emin

american.edu

Read our April newsletter to see the latest work of the Initiative. This issue includes a note from Director @yerevansaeed.bsky.social, recent publications, Barzani Peace Fellow highlights, and interviews on Kurdish art and student experiences. Read here: t.e2ma.net/webview/vw67...

In a new piece for @gulfstatesinst.bsky.social, Director @yerevansaeed.bsky.social argues Iraq’s fastest fix for collapsing oil exports isn’t new pipelines, but a durable Baghdad-Erbil deal to unlock northern flows, stabilize revenues, & curb Turkey’s leverage before July. agsi.org/analysis/ira...

Iraq's Oil Export Crisis Needs a Durable Baghdad-Erbil Deal - AGSI

With the Strait of Hormuz closed and alternative export routes infeasible in the short term, a comprehensive agreement with Erbil can help Baghdad address its critical lack of oil export capability.

agsi.org

NextGen Voices: Issa Sofi discusses his decision to leave the oil industry, the significance of reporting on American power from a Kurdish perspective, and the ongoing need for greater representation of Kurdish voices in global discourse. www.american.edu/sis/research...

NextGen Voices: Issa Sofi

NextGen Voices: Issa Sofi

american.edu

In case you missed it, watch the recording of our event "Between Washington, Tel Aviv, and Tehran: Kurdistan’s Precarious Position" at @ausis.bsky.social with experts Dr. Dlawer Ala'Aldeen, Dr. Kenneth Pollack, and @yerevansaeed.bsky.social. www.youtube.com/watch?v=viYI...

Between Washington, Tel Aviv, and Tehran: Kurdistan’s Precarious Position

YouTube video by School of International Service, AU

youtube.com

Read the recap of our event, Between Washington, Tel Aviv, and Tehran: Kurdistan’s Precarious Position at @ausis.bsky.social featuring experts Dr. Dlawer Ala’Aldeen, Dr. Kenneth Pollack, and @yerevansaeed.bsky.social www.american.edu/sis/research...

Recap: Between Washington, Tel Aviv, and Tehran: Kurdistan’s Precarious Position

Recap: Between Washington, Tel Aviv, and Tehran: Kurdistan’s Precarious Position

american.edu

Middle East Research Institute President Dlawer Ala’Aldeen examines the pressure on Iraq’s new government to rein in pro-Iran militias, warning that without reform, Baghdad risks instability, weakened sovereignty, and escalation. www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comm...

New government, old constraints: What Baghdad needs to do to tame pro-Iran militias in Iraq | The National

Without systemic reform, the country risks being eaten up by armed actors

thenationalnews.com

“At a certain level, there is still tremendous American support for and interaction with Kurdistan. There is a great deal of affection for Kurdistan here in Washington.”—Dr. Kenneth Pollack.

“When you face the PMF, you're facing the entire Iraqi establishment, Iraqi government, Iraqi state that they have overwhelmed. At the same time, you're facing the Iranian establishment, plus the universe of the Islamic resistance that they have created.”—Dr. Dlawer Ala’Aldeen.

“In part because of America's policy toward Kurdistan, toward Iraq, toward the region over the past 15 years, there has been a tremendous amount of neglect of the Kurdistan region in American thinking,” says Middle East Institute Vice President for Policy, Dr. Kenneth Pollack.

“Kurdistan Region has been a small fish in a big tank, where the big whales are fighting. I think the KRI has chosen the right thing, and it's trying its best not to be entangled,” says Middle East Research Institute President, Dr. Dlawer Ala'Aldeen.