Kurdistan

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.

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

‘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.

|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Kurdish internal security forces stand guard after seizing a quantity of captagon pills in Qamishli, Syria, March 25, 2025.

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.

|ByOBSIDIAN RESEARCH BUREAU
Kurdish Peshmerga fighters affiliated with PAK train on January 18, 2026 near Erbil, Iraq.

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.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Iraq, Turkey talk on energy cooperation, oil exports, and trade ties

Talks in Baghdad focus on energy ties, oil exports, and water concerns.

MARCH 18, 2025ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF
A Kurdish oil tanker is seen off the coast of Ashkelon

Kurdistan region marks 37 years since Halabja massacre

Kurdistan leaders mark 37 years since the Halabja massacre, demanding justice and recognition for victims.

MARCH 16, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
The Kurdish victims from wax show scenes of the 1988 chemical weapons attack in the Kurdish town of Halabja at Halabja Museum, Iraq September 22, 2017. Picture taken September 22, 2017.

Turkey’s old trick: Keeping Kurds off the new Mideast map - opinion

Strengthening ties between the Kurds and Israel could counterbalance Turkish and Iranian ambitions, promote regional stability, and redefine power dynamics in the Middle East.

MARCH 9, 2025ByLOQMAN RADPEY
A demonstrator holds a picture of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkey, February 27, 2025.

What does call for disarmament of Kurdish militants in Turkey mean for Middle East? - analysis

The big question now is whether the PKK will actually heed this call by Ocalan and if PKK affiliates will agree.

MARCH 1, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A demonstrator holds a picture of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkey, February 27, 2025.

Kurdish rebels declare immediate ceasefire after jailed leader's peace appeal

If successful, the move could have wide-ranging implications for the region, while ending a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people.

MARCH 1, 2025ByREUTERS
Supporters of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) display flags with a portrait of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan, during a rally to celebrate Nowruz, which marks the arrival of spring, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 17, 2024.

Abdullah Ocalan calls on PKK to dissolve, regional leaders react

Regional leaders welcome calls for the PKK to lay down arms and dissolve.

FEBRUARY 27, 2025ByREUTERS
Syrian Kurds hold flags as they gather after Turkey's jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan called on his Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to lay down its arms on Thursday, a move that could end its 40-year conflict with Ankara and have far-reaching political and security consequences for the region,

Recognizing historical promise to Kurds secures strategic future for Israel - opinion

Under current considerations, Kurdistan is where Iran’s logistical access to its proxies can be disrupted.

FEBRUARY 3, 2025ByMEM HUSEDIN
AT THE UN General Assembly in 2019, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shared a map showing Turkey’s desired control of all of northern Syria. The writer asks: What would Turkey do next?

Iran continues to face resistance, increasing dissent at home - analysis

Iran’s regime now finds itself facing increasing dissent and challenges at home, with many groups opposing the regime.

NOVEMBER 18, 2024BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
‘A MONSTER’ – Members of the IRGC attend a ground forces military drill in the East Azerbaijan province of Iran in 2022.

Iraq's missing Yazidis: Inside the long search for Islamic State captives

A decade after the Islamic State's categorical assault on the Yazidis, families are fighting to reunite with loved ones long thought dead.

NOVEMBER 16, 2024ByREUTERS
Rojin Hadid Talal (C), a member of Iraq's Yazidi minority who was captured by the Islamic State militant group as a child, sits with his brother Aydin Hadid Talal (L) and uncle Saeed Talal (R) at their home in Khanke, in Dohuk governorate, Iraq, June 8, 2024.

Iraqi Kurdish government and Baghdad make progress on restarting oil exports

The ICC in Paris eliminated the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) independent pipeline exports through Turkey after granting the federal gov of Iraq rights to market all Iraqi oil.

NOVEMBER 10, 2024ByTHE MEDIA LINE
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani holds a joint news conference with his Kurdish counterpart Masrour Barzani in Baghdad, Iraq April 4, 2023.