Kurdistan

Iraqi parliament appoints Kurdish Nizar Amedi as new president

The decision to elect Nizar Amedi could have ramifications for Iraq, given that Amedi is Kurdish and was supported by the Kurdish PUK party, which is considered friendly to Iran.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Iraq’s newly elected president Nizar Amedi attends a parliamentary session in Baghdad, Iraq, April 11, 2026.
A fighter from the Iranian Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) takes part in a training exercise at a base near Erbil, Iraq, in February.

Kurdistan Region of Iraq hopes ceasefire brings end to drone, missile attacks

Since the war with Iran began, Tehran told its militias in Iraq to target the Kurdistan Region, including targeting US forces and facilities in the region.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Smoke rises from an oil warehouse on the outskirts of Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, following a suspected drone strike on April 1, 2026; illustrative.

Iranian-linked drone attack kills Kurdish couple in northern Iraq

It is the latest attack by Iran and Iranian-backed militias using drones and missiles on the Kurdistan region. Iranian-backed militias have launched more than 500 attacks since February 28.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A Kurdish fighter in Iraq.

Kurdish Iranian groups deny receiving guns from US following Fox report

Reports about Kurdish Iranian groups tend to be sensitive because the groups fear an Iranian regime crackdown, and the groups have already been targeted by hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Iranian regime may target Kurdish opposition groups if war breaks out - analysis

Kurdish groups in Iran are moving to form a unified front and platform in opposition to the regime amid protests and US-Iran tensions.

FEBRUARY 19, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) members pose for the camera as they celebrate Nowruz at the Jezhnikan Village around Baharka, Iraq, on March 18, 2025.

Iraq's Kurds emerge as Middle East's key diplomatic players at Munich Security Council - analysis

The KRG has helped smooth the transition in eastern Syria by working with Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces, also hosting US forces and other anti-ISIS coalition forces.

FEBRUARY 15, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Nechirvan Barzani, President of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region, gives a joint press conference with France's Foreign Minister in Arbil, the regional capital, on February 5, 2026.

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.

Rojava defeated: Why Kurdish leadership must adapt or risk extinction - opinion

Kurdish political weaknesses and bad strategies are highlighted as risks for the region and Israel.

FEBRUARY 9, 2026ByAMED MARDIN
Members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after US-backed alliance led by Syrian Kurdish fighters captured Deir el-Zor, in Syria December 7, 2024

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.

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.

A life and death market: Starlink smuggling to Iran surges

“Holders will be dealt with firmly,” said Iranian Brigadier-General Hossein Rahimi, head of the Economic Security Police.

JANUARY 29, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Starlink logo is seen on a smartphone in front of displayed Persian flag (Illustrative).

‘There will be hell in Syria’: Kurdish campaigner urges international intervention

Rebwar Hazhar, the chairman of Conservative Friends of Kurdistan, told The Jerusalem Post that Washington’s relationship with Damascus would only be temporary.

JANUARY 25, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
A member of the Syrian army walks with a weapon in the street as civilians flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Aleppo, Syria, January 7, 2026

Follow the flow: Inside Iranian narco-trafficking in Iraqi Kurdistan - explainer

In recent years, the Sulaymaniyah governorate in eastern Iraqi Kurdistan has become a hub for Iranian narco trafficking.

JANUARY 25, 2026ByOBSIDIAN RESEARCH BUREAU
Kurdish internal security forces stand guard after seizing a quantity of captagon pills in Qamishli, Syria, March 25, 2025.

Iran escalates regional response to protests with strike on Kurdish forces - report

Video and photos from the site of the attack show the destruction of vehicles and other debris from the incident.

JANUARY 21, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Kurdish Peshmerga fighters affiliated with PAK train on January 18, 2026 near Erbil, Iraq.