Abdul El-Sayed defies $60 Million campaign against him, wins Michigan Democratic Senate Primary

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  By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis Despite massive spending by outside groups and high-profile endorsements for his opponent, Abdul El-Sayed secured a decisive Democratic Senate primary victory and now heads into a closely watched November showdown. Abdul El-Sayed has scored one of the most closely watched political upsets of the 2026 election cycle, defeating Representative Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary despite facing more than $60 million in outside spending , much of it from pro-Israel political groups. The victory marks a significant breakthrough for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and sets up a high-stakes general election contest against Republican Mike Rogers in November. El-Sayed's campaign prevailed even after Stevens received late endorsements from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and influential national Democrats, including Representative James Clyburn . Those endorsements failed to reverse momentum behind El-S...
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US–Israel War on Iran: Week 3 Analysis and Impact on Kurdistan

    


    As the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran enters its third week, the conflict is no longer a distant geopolitical event—it is rapidly reshaping the strategic environment of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the entire Middle East if not globally.

What began as targeted strikes is evolving into a broader regional confrontation, raising urgent questions for policymakers, analysts, and citizens in Iraq and beyond. This article explores the most critical Week 3 questions—and what they mean specifically for Kurdistan and the wider Middle East region.

1. Is the war entering a decisive phase?

Week 3 often marks a turning point in modern conflicts. The key question is whether this war is shifting from: Limited strikes to Full-scale strategic confrontation

For Kurdistan, this matters because: Escalation could bring militia activity closer to its borders and airspace and security coordination with Baghdad could become strained

Key Insight: Kurdistan’s relative stability may be tested for the first time.

2. Will the war spill into Iraq? Will Iraq become the next front line?

Iran-backed militias in Iraq could: Target U.S. bases, Attack energy infrastructure and Pressure the Iraqi government. This puts the Kurdistan Region in a sensitive position: as it hosts Western interests and maintains a more pro-Western orientation than Baghdad.

There are far more interesting questions. Why the Kurdish movement in Iran has chosen caution over war. Why Kurdish groups refused to be drawn into a ground war? How distrust among the armed kurdish groups of Washington shaped Kurdish caution. We also need to examine why Kurdish actors in Iran did not join the war, and why that restraint may prove to be a historically important decision. It is evident that the future of Kurdish self-rule remains one of the most important questions in the Middle East.

The critical Question is that Can Kurdistan remain neutral—or will it be pulled into the conflict indirectly?

3. Could Kurdistan benefit from the energy shock that have engulfed the region?

If Iran continues to threatens the Strait of Hormuz, then it is clear that Global oil prices could surge and alternative energy routes become more valuable. This creates a strategic opportunity for the Kurdish energy as Kurdish oil could gain importance and investment interest in Kurdish energy may rise

But Risks remain: Kurdish energy Infrastructure have also become a target continuously and since the start of this war more than 300 missiles and drones have been launched against Iraqi kurdistan region by both Iran and Iran-allied militias in Iraq.

4. Is Iran becoming weaker—or more aggressive and dangerous?

Sustained military pressure on Iran raises two possible outcomes: wither Weakening of central control and or more aggressive regional behavior. For Kurdistan: A weaker Iran could reduce external pressure, but instability could spill across borders.

As the war on Iran enters its third week, the promises of quick victory and regime collapse have not yet materialized. The Iranian regime still remains in place, no mass uprising has followed the airstrikes, and the costs of war are spreading far beyond Iran’s borders.

We need to ask what comes next after Khamenei and Larijani's eliminations, whether the United States is being pulled into a dangerous new quagmire? There are far more serious questions like Why Trump’s promises of regime change are failing and why there is not yet immediate results. Or how the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is raising the global cost of war.

Also interesting is the question why no popular uprising has emerged in Iran yet? Whether Israel’s long-term strategy is to reshape the Middle East. and What scenarios could come after Khamenei and after the current war?

The Strategic Dilemma for Kurdistan region of Iraq is that instability in Iran is not necessarily translated into good news for Kurdistan.

5. What Is the U.S. endgame—and where does Kurdistan fit?

The United States may aim to:, Contain Iran, degrade its military and avoid long-term occupation. Kurdistan could become: A logistical hub, a diplomatic partner and or a strategic buffer zone. Yet, the key Question remains: Will Kurdistan gain strategic importance—or become a pressure point?

6. How will Baghdad–Erbil relations be affected?

War often reshapes internal politics in ways we cannot imagine. Possible scenarios include: Baghdad pressuring Kurdistan to align with national policy, disputes over oil and security intensify as we have seen lately,  and or coordination improves under external threat

The key outcome to watch is that will the war divide or unify Iraq politically?

7. How close is the region to full-scale war?

The biggest risk in Week 3 is uncontrolled escalation: there are issues like direct Iran–U.S. confrontation, multi-front war (Lebanon, Iraq, Gulf) and attacks on global shipping continue. For Kurdistan region the economic disruption, refugee flows and security instability remain as bottom line and that Kurdistan’s stability depends on a conflict it does not control.

All in all, a defining moment for Kurdistan is Week 3 of the war signals a transition from uncertainty to strategic consequence. For the Kurdistan Region, this moment presents both opportunities  for the sector of energy, and geopolitical relevance, yet risks remain for security, political pressure,  and regional spillover. The coming weeks will determine whether Kurdistan emerges as: a stable strategic partner or a frontline region in a widening war.

My final observation is that so far the Key results of this war include: 

1. No regime collapse: Despite heavy strikes, the Iranian regime has not fallen, and the social uprising many expected has not happened.

2. A growing cost for the U.S, Israel and their allies: One may argue even if Iran is militarily weakened, it still has the capacity to impose serious costs on the region and on American strategy.

#USIsraelIranWar2026,  #Kurdistangeopolitics,  #IranConflictImpactonIraq,  #KurdistanOilStrategy,  #MiddleEastWarAnalysis, #StraitofHormuzCrisis, #KurdishEnergyPolitics, 

Read, share, and subscribe to Kurdish Policy Analysis (KPA) for independent coverage and analysis on Kurdistan, Iran, Syria, and the wider geopolitics of the Middle East.

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