Iran escalates attacks on Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Iran and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq increased attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq on March 6 and 7. “Drone and missile attacks targeting sites in the Kurdistan Region’s...
Kurdistan Workers' Party
Separatism Would Hand the Iranian Regime a Lifeline
As joint U.S.–Israeli operations have degraded the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities, the conflict is entering its next phase. Washington and Jerusalem are reportedly considering backing armed...
Op-eds
Will Turkey Invade Iran?
Turkey views Iran’s sizable Kurdish population as a potential threat to Turkey’s internal unity.
Op-eds
Turkey, The Kurds, And The U.S.: The SDF Partnership Hits a Strategic Wall
Masoud Barzani’s February 6 meeting with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi spotlights a decade of U.S. partnering that helped defeat ISIS in eastern Syria, but never produced a political endgame. After holding territory east of the Euphrates, the SDF suffered setbacks in mid-January clashes and then reached a January 30 understanding that allows Damascus to expand security control in remaining SDF areas. Some fighters could be absorbed into Syria’s army, while U.S. forces weigh next steps for ISIS detainee operations and their remaining footprint.
Op-eds
A Month of Crisis in Syria and Its Regional Ramifications
Syria has experienced another dramatic transformation. After a month of clashes that began in Aleppo and spread to eastern Syria, Damascus announced on January 30 that it had reached an agreement with...
Op-eds
Over the Barrel of a Gun: Syria’s Deal With the SDF
“Our Kurdish people, descendants of Saladin, beware of believing claims that we seek harm against you,” Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said in a televised address on January 16 to Syria’s...
Op-eds
Syrian Offensive Against Kurdish-Led SDF Risks Escape of ISIS Prisoners
The ongoing conflict between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) risks unleashing tens of thousands of ISIS-linked detainees, reviving a threat that the United States and the SDF...
Policy Briefs
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces withdraw from Aleppo province after clashes with Syrian government
In the wake of intense fighting between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government forces, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi ordered the withdrawal of his personnel from contested areas...
Op-eds
Kurdish opposition groups in Iran support protests, claim attacks on Tehran regime
Kurdish opposition groups in northwestern Iran have actively supported protests against the Iranian regime during the first two weeks of January. They have issued statements backing...
Op-eds
Turkey Puts Fragile Deal Between Damascus and Kurdish Forces at Greater Risk
If the agreement collapses, violence may be imminent. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have spent months negotiating with the government in Damascus how to implement their March agreement...
Policy Briefs
Kurds at a Crossroads as Middle East Shifts
Syrian Kurdish military leader Mazloum Abdi’s recent meeting with top Kurdish officials of northern Iraq points to the region’s shifting political landscape. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander...
Op-eds
Clashes erupt between Syrian government troops and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces
On November 19, the government-controlled Syrian army and the predominantly Kurdish, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) battled in the area of Maadan, east of Raqqa. According to Syrian...
Op-eds
PKK announcement of withdrawal from Turkey has ramifications for Iraq, Syria
On October 26, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said it was withdrawing its fighters from Turkey. The withdrawal is part of a peace process that has seen the group say it will disarm...
Op-eds
Kurdish-Led SDF Reportedly Reaches Agreement to Merge With Syrian Armed Forces
Integration Agreement Reached: The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the main military force in northeastern Syria, has agreed in principle to integrate into the Syrian...
Flash Briefs
SDF moves forward with integration into new Syrian security forces
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) based in eastern Syria are taking steps to integrate into the security forces led by the Syrian transitional government in Damascus. “The Syrian government...
Op-eds
The Gaza Peace Deal Has One Huge Problem: Hamas Won’t Disarm
As Gaza Ceasefire Begins, Hamas Is Already Reasserting Control Disarming Hamas is key to the U.S.-backed deal to end the Gaza war. The first phase of the agreement signed Oct....
Op-eds
Erdogan Demands SDF Complete Integration With Syrian Government
Erdogan Demanding Full Kurdish Integration: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Syrian Kurds to integrate with the Syrian government following a ceasefire between the Kurdish-led...
Flash Briefs
Ceasefire Gives Breathing Room to Syrian Government and Kurdish-Led Forces
A ceasefire between the government in Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), agreed to on October 7, pulls Syria back from the brink of bloodshed. Tensions, already high, rose the...
Policy Briefs
When Erdoğan Shifted Focus to the Kurds in Syria
2015 marked a change in the Syria policy of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He began to walk back his initial goal of toppling the Asad regime and turned towards Syria’s surging Kurdish forces....
Op-eds
Renewed Fighting Between Kurds and Government Forces Threatens Syria’s Unity
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian forces traded rocket artillery fire near Deir Hafir, east of Aleppo, on September 10. While no military personnel were killed, two civilians died and...