Kurdish controlled syria

Iraqi Kurdistan emerges as a key diplomatic bridge between US and Iran - analysis

Nechirvan Barzani’s ties with Washington, Tehran and regional Kurdish actors have positioned Iraqi Kurdistan as a key diplomatic bridge.

AUGUST 17, 2026|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Nechirvan Barzani, the regional president of Iraqi Kurdistan, delivers a speech after casting his ballot in Arbil, the capital of Iraqi's northern autonomous Kurdish region, on November 11, 2025.

Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi speaks during a parliamentary session to vote in a new government headed by Ali al-Zaidi as prime minister, at the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, May 14, 2026.

Iraq's PM arrives in Washington as US presses Baghdad on Iran-backed militias - analysis

Iraq is already a kind of frontline between the US and Iran. After the US and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28, the Iranians operationalized militias in Iraq.

JULY 14, 2026|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq February 12, 2026.

The strategic misjudgment of the Kurdish factor in Iran’s war - opinion

While Washington initially expressed rhetorical support for the Kurdish opposition, it later issued more cautious messages discouraging active Kurdish involvement in the conflict.

JUNE 28, 2026|ByVEYSI DAG

Children hold signs on the day Syrian Kurds demonstrate to mark Kurdish Language Day, demanding constitutional recognition of the Kurdish language by the Syrian government, in Qamishli, Syria, May 14, 2026.

Syria’s limited Kurdish election exposes limits of Damascus’s democratic transition - analysis

Syria had already held types of limited elections in other areas of Syria last year. However, areas outside government control did not hold a vote.

MAY 25, 2026|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Petty clashes over a sign in Syria risk snowballing into real conflict

Protesters in Hasakah and also in Qamishli object to the removal of Kurdish from official signs on government buildings.

MAY 10, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

The debris of a destroyed building and a motorbike litters the ground following a Jordanian strike on reported drugs and weapons storage facilities in the village of Arman, in the southern Druze-majority province of Sweida, of which many parts are outside the control of Damascus on May 3, 2026.

EU to restore Syria relations, strengthen trade and security ties, document shows

Syria, which had most Western sanctions lifted at the end of last year, is seeking broader integration into the international community under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

APRIL 17, 2026ByREUTERS

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa hold a press conference at the Chancellery, in Berlin, Germany March 30, 2026.

Israel's national security dependent on supporting Kurdish cause, Kurdish leader says

“National security is achieved only through support for the cause. We are talking about a new Middle East with four key countries: Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. The Kurds are in all of them."

FEBRUARY 18, 2026ByDR. EDY COHEN

Security for the protest is provided by the local Asayish (Kurdish Police) during a demonstration for Kurdish rights on February 10, 2026 in Qamishli, Syria. The protests called for the protection of Kurdish rights and the achievements of the Rojava revolution as the region

Kurds’ monumental role in defeating ISIS deserves recognition - analysis

As the anti-ISIS Coalition embraces Syria, the Kurdish role in the war on ISIS in Iraq and Syria also deserves recognition.

FEBRUARY 10, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Members of the Kurdish community and other protesters attend a demonstration against recent military clashes between the Syrian army and Kurdish forces, in Berlin, Germany, January 24, 2026.

Syria’s Sunni Islamist regime consolidates power, ending Kurdish autonomy

BEHIND THE LINES: The arrival of Syrian forces to Qamishli sets the seal on the effective demise of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).

FEBRUARY 7, 2026ByJONATHAN SPYER

A MEMBER of the Kurdish Internal Security Forces rides on a car, while vehicles of the internal security forces of the Syrian government arrive in the city of Qamishli during the curfew, following an agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government on Tuesday.

Damascus reaches out to rival Kurdish factions amid eastern Syria transition - analysis

The changes on the ground are part of a January 30 deal between the Syrian Transitional Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces.

FEBRUARY 4, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Syrian Public Security Forces drive through a crowd as they enter the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on February 3, 2026, under an integration deal with Kurdish authorities.

Syrian government forces enter SDF held Hasakah after ceasefire deal

Syrian Interior Ministry forces entered Hasakah on Monday under a deal with the US-backed SDF, marking a key test of coordination after weeks of clashes.

FEBRUARY 2, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Syrian Interior Ministry security forces vehicles prepare to enter the city of Hasakah in northeastern Syria, following an agreement between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces reached on January 30, in Al-hasakah, Syria, February 2, 2026.

Syrian government announce integration deal with Kurdish forces

The sides announced the deal after Syrian government forces under President Ahmed al-Sharaa captured swathes of northern and eastern Syria from the SDF this month.

JANUARY 30, 2026ByREUTERS

Members of the Syrian security forces gather at a back of a vehicle outside al-Aqtan prison, where some Islamic State detainees are held, in Raqqa, Syria January 23, 2026.

Israel’s safety tied to Kurdish security, Kurdish-Jewish Alliance board tells 'Post'

Four Swiss Kurdish groups wrote to Israeli amb. Tibor Schlosser and President Isaac Herzog, hoping Jerusalem will provide aid to minorities attacked by the Sharaa regime.

JANUARY 25, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD

Members of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrive at the Kurdish-held city of Ain al-Arab, also known as Kobane on January 23, 2026

Baghdad has no reason to send forces to Iran amid protests, Iraqi scholar tells 'Post'

According to some media outlets, including Iran International, thousands of Iraqi militiamen have already crossed into Iran to help Tehran suppress the ongoing protests.

JANUARY 25, 2026BySUZAN QUITAZ