Interview Barzani calls for enhanced air defense for Kurdistan Region to counter drone attacks Iraqi Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani backs US-led regional economic integration efforts and lauds US partnership in an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor. Masrour Barzani KRG Prime Minister
Explainer Why Iran targeted Barzani family stronghold in Iraqi Kurdistan Iran’s Kurdish opposition groups have turned Iraqi Kurdistan into a frontline in the war. Iran
Analysis How Turkey's PKK amnesty law entwines Kurds' hopes with Erdogan's ambitions The first legislation to emerge from direct negotiations with Abdullah Ocalan offers a path to ending Turkey's war with the PKK while potentially giving President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the votes he needs to remain in power for a third term. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Iraqi Kurdish president’s meeting with Syria’s Sharaa signals shift in SDF dynamics KRG President Nechirvan Barzani’s meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa underscored the Kurdistan Region’s growing role in Syria’s Kurdish politics. Iraq
Interview PJAK leader mocks Iran’s claim Turkey spiked US Kurdish-backed regime-change plan Siamand Moeini PJAK Executive Council Member
Analysis Why Iran's Kurdish front is becoming a growing wartime concern By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Iraqi army boots PKK-linked leader’s statue from Sinjar, arrests fighters The Iraqi army has arrested several fighters from a PKK-linked Yazidi faction operating in Sinjar as part of an attempt to get them to abide by an accord signed in 2020 for greater stability and security. Iraq
Rare snowstorm hits Iraq and Syria Many people in the Kurdistan Region rejoiced while playing in the snow, but such conditions can be dangerous for others, especially those living in displaced people camps. Iraq
IRGC-linked factions step up activity against Kurdistan Region of Iraq Armed factions in Iraq with links to Iran have increased accusations against Kurds in the country’s autonomous region and may have been behind some recent attacks on them. Iraq
Ancient Kurdish rain ritual revived in Syria as drought continues Kurdish farmers in the countryside of Qamishli revive an ancient ritual called Ziwa, or the Bride of the Rain, to invoke rain after seasons of drought. Syria
Kurdish Gazan families interwoven in Palestine’s national fabric Kurds came to Palestine for several purposes over the centuries. They then continued to flock for trade and work in the Ottoman and Mamluk eras, when they merged and built archeological sites in Palestine. Palestine
Child rape and security forces’ behavior spark outcry in Iraq Violent crimes perpetrated against Iraqi women and girls has led to outrage and renewed calls for women to have greater representation and decision-making opportunities in the country, as all-male government formation talks continue. Iraq
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
