Analysis Lebanon key to Trump plan for turnaround in Middle East The final "This Week" column reflects on US policy toward Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Gaza. By Andrew Parasiliti In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, national security
Senate defense spending bill would restrict US troop drawdown from Syria Washington plans to zero out stipends for Iraqi Kurdistan’s peshmerga forces but will continue funding Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces through 2026. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Kurdish militants return abducted Turkish agents as fragile peace push continues The handover is seen as a confidence-building measure, as Erdogan seeks a deal with militants to secure Kurdish support for extending his presidency beyond 2028. Turkey
Analysis Can Turkey dismantle PKK, push SDF integration while rewriting rules in Syria? Ankara hopes for the PKK's disarmament and the SDF's integration under Damascus, but skepticism and risks remain. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis Emboldened by Suwayda fallout, Syria’s Kurds hold their ground with Damascus By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party seeks justice for murdered party volunteer The Peoples’ Democratic Party charges that the prosecutors are reluctant to fully investigate the links of the health worker who attacked the party’s office in June. Turkey
Kurdish leaders say poverty 'biggest threat,' driving Syrians into arms of IS Offers of money by the Islamic State to join its ranks prove "irresistible" to those hit hard by Syria's collapsed economy. Syria
Floods hit Kurdistan region as drought leaves many Iraqis in need Parts of northern Iraq have been hit by flooding after a year marked by drought, which many say is due to climate change likely to worsen in the coming years. Iraq
Turkey targets PKK-linked Yazidis inside Iraq A local Yazidi armed group linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party and affiliated with the government-incorporated Popular Mobilization Units has been targeted as part of stepped-up Turkish cross-border operations. Iraq
Jihadis from Syria blamed for multiple attacks on Iraqi Kurds An onslaught of attacks on Kurdish peshmerga forces and villages in northern Iraq has sparked concerns over the presence of Islamic State cells and whether they have been bulked up by jihadis arriving from Syria. Iraq
Kurdish politician's plight highlights Turkey's indifference to critically ill inmates Aysel Tugluk, who defended PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in his trial decades ago, is now suffering from advanced dementia behind bars, despite widespread calls for her release. Turkey
Iraqi prime minister visits site of Islamic State attack Mustafa al-Kadhimi met with Kurdistan Region security forces in disputed Makhmour. News Brief
Turkish police arrest alleged members of far-left organization Lawyers have accused Turkish authorities of unjustly detaining people for alleged Revolutionary Peoples’ Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) links. News Brief
Islamic State targets peshmerga in Iraq’s disputed Diyala and Makhmour A recent string of attacks on Iraq’s Kurdistan Region peshmerga forces have raised concern over how effective long-discussed coordination with the central government is in the country’s flashpoint disputed territories. Iraq
Islamic State carries out another attack on Iraqi Kurdish forces The Islamic State has attacked the security forces in Iraqi Kurdistan in recent days. News Brief
Shiite leaders gather in Baghdad to break political deadlock In order to break the political deadlock resulting from Iraq's recent elections, Shiite leaders gathered to find a solution to forming the next government. Iraq
Iraq repatriates more citizens from Belarus The Kurdistan Regional Government previously reported that it had helped bring more than 1,800 people home from the Belarus-Poland border. News Brief
