Kurdish Policy Analysis

 Panic Spreads Online: Viral Tanker Fire Video Is Weeks Old—But Fear Won’t Wait Kurdish Policy Analysis A dramatic video showing the Safesea Vishnu tanker engulfed in flames is going viral on social media—but the footage is not new. The video, originally from March 11 after an Iranian attack, has resurfaced amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting alarm among online audiences. Accounts reposting messages linked to former President Donald J. Trump presented the clip as a recent incident, despite no verified reports of a new strike. Experts warn that recycling old footage in this way can fuel unnecessary panic, distort public perception, and escalate fears during already volatile geopolitical moments. “In times of conflict, misinformation can travel faster than the truth,” said a media analyst. “Even unintentionally, these recycled videos can spark anxiety and confusion, undermining informed public understanding.” Analysts urge social media users to fact-check conte...

Exiled Iranian Kurds Brace as Iraq’s Kurdistan Becomes Key Frontline in Tehran Conflict By  Kurdish Policy Analysis Erbil, Iraq, March 27 — As the war between Iran, the U.S., and Israel intensifies, Iraq’s Kurdish region has become a pivotal battleground. Iranian Kurdish groups, long exiled, are cautiously preparing for a potential power vacuum in Tehran while facing relentless attacks from Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. Thousands of Iranian Kurds in Iraq harbor hopes of returning home, contingent on the fall of Iran’s theocracy. Many fled decades ago from Kermanshah and other Kurdish-majority provinces, seeking refuge in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region. Despite decades of resettlement, they remain marginalized—lacking full civil rights and security guarantees. Armed Kurdish opposition groups, including the PAK, Komala, and Khabat factions, are mobilizing along the Iranian border but face severe constraints. Lacking drones, air support, and modern weaponry, these forces rel...

Amid rising tensions, Iran reportedly threatened to target undersea internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, which carry 95–97% of global data. Experts warn any disruption could severely impact global communications and financial systems.. Kurdish Policy Analysis Erbil, Iraq — Iran has reportedly threatened to target undersea internet cables running through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea — critical digital infrastructure that carries an estimated 95–97% of global data traffic — raising fresh concerns about the vulnerability of global communication networks amid escalating Middle East tensions. The cables, which connect continents and underpin international commerce, finance, cloud services and everyday internet usage, are seen by experts as potential leverage in the widening conflict involving Iran, the United States, Israel and allied states. Disruption to these data links, analysts say, could trigger far‑reaching impacts beyond regional borders. While Iranian of...

SMOKE RISES from the site of a drone crash on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq, March 12, 2026.  (photo credit:   REUTERS/KHALID AL-MOUSILY )   Iran‑Backed Militias Escalate Strikes on Iraq’s Kurdistan, Raising Regional Tensions ERBIL, Iraq Kurdish Policy Analysis  — Iran‑aligned militia forces have launched over 450 attacks on the autonomous Kurdistan Region since the outbreak of the Iran war, using drones and rockets in a sustained campaign that has killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens more, local media and officials said on Thursday. The strikes, occurring almost daily, have hit military and civilian infrastructure, including hotels, urban neighborhoods, and diplomatic sites, as well as U.S. facilities and forces stationed in northern Iraq’s Erbil. Local Kurdish and Iraqi sources report residential areas have also been struck, highlighting the expanding geographic and tactical scope of the campaign. Tehran’s use of Iraqi militia proxies, some formally int...

  The path to influencing Iran may lie not in choosing the right partners—but in redefining what a partner actually is. Erbil, Iraq, March 27, 2026 Kurdish Policy Analysis Efforts by Western policymakers to identify allies inside Iran may be based on flawed assumptions, according to a recent analysis by the Lawfare , which argues that influence in the country operates in less visible and more complex ways than commonly understood. The report challenges the long-standing focus on exiled opposition groups and overtly pro-Western actors, suggesting these figures often lack credibility inside Iran and have limited ability to shape internal outcomes. Instead, it points to domestically rooted individuals and networks—many operating within state institutions or broader society—as more consequential, even if they are not publicly aligned with foreign governments. “Visible alignment with external powers can undermine local legitimacy,” the analysis indicates , noting that such percepti...

  Iraqi soldiers inspect the site of a destroyed health care center in the Habbaniyah military base, which was targeted by an airstrike, Habbaniyah, Iraq, March 26, 2026. (AFP Photo)      T he Ministry of National Defense announced on Thursday that Turkish troops stationed in Baghdad as part of the   NATO   Iraq mission have left the country under the current circumstances. Daily Sabah has reported that NATO ordered its staff in Iraq to evacuate last Friday, while Iraq said that it was a temporary precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the personnel. Iraq, like Türkiye, stands to be affected by the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran war. NATO elements in Türkiye have intercepted several missiles reportedly fired by Iran, but the spillover of the conflict was worse for Iraq. Since the outbreak of war on Feb. 28, after U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, strikes have targeted both U.S. interests and pro-Iranian groups in Iraq. Baghdad has hardened its stance. On...

  Here’s what happened today Here are some of the day’s top developments: Trump said he would pause his threat to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities until April 6, claiming Tehran requested the move. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi warned attacks near Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant could cause a “major radiological accident”. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called on the UN to act on Israeli ministers threatening “ to occupy  the area south of the Litani River”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is expanding what he calls a “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon. The death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon grew to 1,116, while US-Israeli attacks have now killed more than 1,900 people in Iran. Iran continued attacks on its Gulf neighbours, as well as Israel, where one person was reported killed. Fox News poll suggests majority disapproval for war on Iran A poll by the right-leaning network, seen as largely friendly to US President Trump, suggested that 64 perce...

  Iran’s Strategy in Iraq Evolves as Tehran Seeks Influence Amid Regional Turmoil By Pshtiwan Faraj , Kurdish Policy Analysis Erbil/Iraq — Iran’s efforts to expand its strategic footprint in Iraq are emerging as a pivotal element in Tehran’s broader approach to regional influence, diplomats and analysts say, a stance that could reshape power dynamics across the Middle East. Since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and the toppling of Saddam Hussein, Iran has incrementally deepened its political, military and economic ties in the neighbouring Arab state, exploiting shared Shiite connections and Baghdad’s internal divisions to build influence that extends far beyond Iraq’s borders. Iran’s influence has been rooted in a multifaceted strategy that combines political support for allied Shiite parties in Baghdad, financial investments, and backing for paramilitary formations such as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF). These networks have helped Tehran to embed itself within Iraq’s sec...

  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT — U.S. SECRETARY RUBIO SPEAKS WITH KURDISTAN PM ON SECURITY, SUPPORT By Kurdish Policy Analysis ERBIL,Iraq March 27  – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone on Thursday with Masrour Barzani , the prime minister of the semi‑autonomous Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq, in a call that underscored Washington’s support for Erbil amid escalating regional tensions, U.S. and Kurdish statements said. Rubio “expressed condolences” for the recent deaths of Peshmerga fighters killed in a ballistic missile strike earlier this week, according to a State Department readout attributed to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott. He also reiterated U.S. support for the Kurdistan Region and its security forces at a time of heightened clashes involving Iranian‑linked groups. In the call, the U.S. top diplomat “condemned” ongoing attacks by Iran and Iran‑aligned armed militias against U.S. citizens and energy infrastructure in Iraq, the department sa...

     Maximum Pressure, Minimum Strategy: The Structural Failure of U.S. Iran Policy Why Something isn’t adding up in Washington’s Iran strategy — and the consequences could hit the global economy harder than anyone expects.  Kurdish Policy Analysis Erbil, Iraq, 27 March — The United States’ campaign of “maximum pressure”  and "Minimum Strategy" on Iran is increasingly marked by strategic contradictions that risk undermining its own objectives, analysts say, as Washington seeks to balance military escalation with efforts to stabilize global energy markets. U.S. actions have targeted Iran’s economic lifelines, including strikes and enforcement measures aimed at curbing oil revenues. At the same time, policymakers have shown flexibility in sanctions enforcement to contain sharp increases in global oil prices — a dual-track approach critics argue is inherently self-defeating. “The policy is trying to achieve mutually incompatible goals,” one regional analyst said ....