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Kurdistan’s Political Crisis: How the KDP–PUK Power Struggle Threatens Regional Autonomy and Strategic Stability

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The KDP–PUK Power Struggle Threatens Regional Autonomy and Strategic Stability Geopolitical Analysis | 7 November 2026 The withdrawal of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) marks a significant escalation in the political confrontation between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the PUK. What initially appeared to be another disagreement over government formation, parliamentary representation and the distribution of senior positions has developed into a wider institutional crisis, raising questions about the future of Kurdish self-government, the region's economic stability and its position within an increasingly contested Middle Eastern geopolitical environment. The implications extend well beyond the relationship between the two dominant Kurdish parties. The possibility of rival administrations, competing security structures and fragmented economic governance threatens to undermine the institutional foundations of the Kurdistan ...
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The man who defied death: how Hoshyar Ali became Kurdistan's hero by clearing Saddam Hussein's landmines

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By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis   For 37 years, one man has risked his life every day so others can walk safely across Kurdistan. Despite losing both legs, Hoshyar Ali spent 37 years clearing landmines planted during Saddam Hussein's rule, becoming one of Kurdistan's greatest humanitarian heroes. Hoshyar Ali has fought a 37-year war clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance across the Kurdistan Region. Despite losing both his legs to mines, he refuses to abandon his mission and continues to make Kurdistan safer, clearing thousands of mines and saving countless lives in an extraordinary show of resilience and sacrifice. Across the mountains and valleys of the Kurdistan Region, countless families farm their land, shepherds graze their livestock, and children play in villages that once stood on some of the world's most heavily mined battlefields. Few stop to think about why those fields are safe today. Behind that safety stands one extraordinary man. Hoshya...
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Spain's refugee crisis: migration, geopolitics, and the danger of simplistic narratives

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By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj / Kurdish Policy Analysis An analysis of Spain's migration challenges, relations with the US, Morocco, and Israel, separating verified geopolitical developments from online speculation. Recent videos showing African migrants attempting to cross into Spain have once again sparked intense debate across social media. Many commentators have argued that Spain's migration challenges are somehow a direct consequence of its foreign policy positions, particularly its criticism of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, its deteriorating relations with the United States under President Donald Trump, and its refusal to facilitate certain US military operations during the Iran conflict. Some have even gone further, claiming that Washington is now considering supporting Moroccan sovereignty over the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, while pointing to statements from Israeli figures and social media posts by Elon Musk as evidence that Spain is facing geopolitical ...
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Trump, Netanyahu, and the post-Iran war order

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  By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj / Kurdish Policy Analysis As Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu reunite in Washington amid rising regional tensions and the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, their meeting signals more than political symbolism—it may determine the future of Iran, the Abraham Accords, and the balance of power across the Middle East. Trump and Netanyahu's White House meeting could redefine U.S.-Israel strategy on Iran, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, shaping the Middle East's post-war order. Part I: More Than a Diplomatic Meeting Diplomatic meetings between American and Israeli leaders have long been among the most closely watched events in Middle Eastern politics. Yet the anticipated meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington carries an unusual significance that extends far beyond the traditional alliance between the two countries. It comes at a moment when the Middle East is attempting to define what follows t...
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The Development Road: Iraq's emerging geopolitical position between Türkiye, Iran, the Gulf and the Kurdistan Region

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Iraq’s Development Road faces political, security and regional challenges involving Kurdistan, Türkiye, Iran and Baghdad’s state capacity. The Development Road is not simply as an infrastructure or trade project, but  a geopolitical corridor whose success depends on unresolved Kurdish, Turkish, Syrian and Iranian dynamics. One can identify three Kurdish-related issues as particularly important to the corridor's political viability: Baghdad–Erbil disagreement over the northern route through the Kurdistan Region. The Türkiye–PKK peace process and its implications for northern Iraq. The future status and integration of the Kurdish-led SDF in Syria. In this article I also examine Iran's position, arguing that Tehran has so far avoided outright opposition partly because Iraq presents the project as potentially compatible with Iranian connectivity through the Basra–Shalamcheh rail link. Iraq and Türkiye completed a framework draft agreement on transport infrastructure on September 21...
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The Kurdish Referendum: Between Defeat and Achievement

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  Nine years after Kurdistan’s 2017 referendum, its political, economic and strategic consequences remain deeply contested. Nine years after the Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum, debate over the referendum and its consequences for the Kurdistan Region continues. Supporters regard it as a historic achievement, while its opponents see it as a factor that weakened the Region’s position within the framework of Iraq. On September 25, 2017, the referendum process was held in the Kurdistan Region and the disputed territories. At the time, the authorities of the Kurdistan Region claimed that the process was intended to pave the way for “independence” and “separation” from Iraq. However, less than a month later, the political balance shifted dramatically against the Region. When the referendum was held in the Kurdistan Region, most political parties and factions supported the process. However, less than a month later, when the Iraqi military operation against the disputed territor...
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As 30 September Deadline Nears, Washington’s Kurdish Partnerships Face a New Test

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Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj  Washington’s September 30 withdrawal deadline marks a new test for U.S. partnerships with Kurdish actors in Iraq and Syria. The 30 September deadline marks an important moment in the changing relationship between Washington and its Kurdish partners in Iraq and Syria. On that date, the United States is due to complete the withdrawal of its remaining coalition forces from Iraq, while the Pentagon’s memorandum of understanding with the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga is set to expire. The deadline represents another stage in Washington’s effort to reduce its military footprint in the Middle East and place greater responsibility for regional security on local and regional actors. The withdrawal timetable has been confirmed by Baghdad, while Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has said that Iraq aims to complete the disarmament of Iran-aligned militias by 30 June 2027, separating the coalition’s departure from Baghdad’s longer effort to establish state control over armed groups...
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