Kurdish Policy Analysis

     New demographic estimates suggest over 70 million Kurds worldwide — one of the largest stateless populations globally.  What does this mean for regional politics and international policy?  ERBIL, March 28  Kurdish Policy Analysis – A newly circulated demographic estimate suggests that the global Kurdish population may exceed 70 million people, underscoring what analysts describe as one of the largest stateless populations in the modern world. The figures , attributed to independent research compiled over several months using international and residential data sources, place the largest Kurdish populations in Turkey (32.8 million), Iran (18.2 million), Iraq (7.9 million), and Syria (3.6 million). Significant diaspora communities are also recorded across Europe, particularly in Germany, as well as in countries such as Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Armenia. These numbers are the result of extensive effort and coordination with international Geneva for over ...

U.S. and Iraq strike urgent security deal as regional war fears grow New coordination committee aims to stop terror attacks, protect U.S. forces, and keep Iraq from becoming the next battlefield Is Iraq on the brink — or pulling back from chaos? Erbil, Kurdistan, March 27  Kurdish Policy Analysis – The United States and Iraq have agreed to deepen security coordination and prevent the country from being drawn into escalating regional conflict, following the inaugural meeting of a newly established High Joint Coordination Committee, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said on Thursday. The committee, created under the long-standing strategic partnership between Baghdad and Washington, met for the first time on March 26, bringing together officials from both sides to strengthen cooperation across political, economic and security fields. In a joint understanding reached during the meeting, Iraq and the United States agreed to intensify efforts to prevent terrorist attacks and ensure that I...

  Erbil, Kurdistan, March 27 Reporting by Kurdish Policy Analysis U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked the Kurdish government for facilitating oil flow amid the Iran conflict, which has disrupted global markets. The conflict resulted in a deadly missile attack on Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers. The war, initiated by U.S. and Israel, has seen varying strategies from President Trump. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio commended the Kurdistan Regional Government for its pivotal role in channeling Iraqi oil to international markets, according to a State Department release. The statement coincided with Rubio's condolences over a fatal missile attack by Iran that took the lives of several Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. This comes against the backdrop of a broader conflict initiated on February 28 by U.S. and Israel military actions against Iran. Amid shifting objectives, President Donald Trump asserted his belief in a U.S. victory, despite the conflict's heavy toll, including wides...

  Bloomberg: First Tanker Carrying Iraqi Oil Crosses Strait of  Hormuz Since the Start  of Iran War A supertanker carrying two million barrels of Iraqi crude oil has successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first observed transit of Iraqi oil via the strategic waterway since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict .  Ship‑tracking data compiled by Bloomberg indicated that the tanker — identified as the Omega Trader and operated by Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines — arrived in Mumbai, India in recent days after navigating the strait. The vessel’s last known signal before reaching India came from within the Arabian Gulf more than ten days earlier. The transit is notable because shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow chokepoint that normally carries around a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil trade — has been severely disrupted since the war began, with most commercial traffic effectively halted amid heightened military risks and geopolitica...

  The future of Iranian Kurdistan (often called Rojhelat by Kurds) is uncertain and will depend on several political, regional, and internal factors. The Kurdish regions inside Iran —including provinces like Kurdistan Province , West Azerbaijan Province , Kermanshah Province , and Ilam Province —sit at the intersection of domestic Iranian politics and wider Middle Eastern geopolitics. Below are the main realistic scenarios analysts discuss for the coming decades. 1. Continued Centralized Control (Most Likely Short-Term) The most probable near-term future is continued rule from Tehran with limited autonomy . The government of Tehran traditionally maintains strong centralized authority and is highly sensitive to territorial integrity. Kurdish political activism is often restricted, and Kurdish parties such as Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran and Komala operate largely in exile or underground. Possible developments in this scenario: Cultural rights may slowly expand (la...

     ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Baghdad is in talks with Erbil to export some of Kirkuk’s oil through the Kurdistan Region’s pipelines with Turkey, Iraq’s oil minister said Saturday, while a senior Kurdish official said that the federal government must lift the trade embargo on the Region before an agreement can be reached.    Iraqi oil minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani told The New Region that federal government is in talks with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to transfer oil from the Region’s pipelines to    Kirkuk’s Ceyhan pipeline, which flows into Turkey, to resume exports from the key conduit.   Since the US and Israel launched their military campaign against Iran in late February, Tehran in retaliation has targeted neighbouring countries and shut the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway responsible for one fifth of the world’s oil.    Iraq has been severely affected by the disruption in oil transport through the Gulf.   ...

Iraq is getting caught in the crossfire of the Iran war as the only country facing strikes from both sides, and that threatens to drag the nation that has so far avoided two years of regional turmoil into a full-blown crisis. As the war nears two full weeks, Iraq's situation is growing more desperate. Disruptions to Gulf shipping and strikes on oil fields and infrastructure have all but halted exports, jeopardizing a state that relies on such trade for the bulk of its revenue. If the shutdown continues, Baghdad could be unable to meet its oversized public‑sector payroll as soon as next month, risking widespread unrest, two Iraqi Kurdish officials said. The federal government has appealed to northern Kurdish leaders to resume exports via a pipeline to Turkey, but talks remain deadlocked over longstanding domestic issues. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive political matters. In the meantime, a parallel conflict to the wider war ...