Kurds

Iran executes two men over January mosque arson amid trial outcry

Mehrdad Mohammadinia and Ashkan Maleki had allegedly been part of a group of demonstrators who targeted the Jafari Mosque in Tehran's Gisha neighborhood.

|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Demonstrators hold signs as they gather near the Francis Scott Key Bridge during rally in support of the Iranian people and to condemn the execution of political prisoners in Iran, in Washington, DC, on May 16, 2026.
A member of Komala of the Toilers of Kurdistan stands while holding a machine gun at a mountain base in Khalifan near Erbil, Iraq's Kurdistan region, on March 12, 2026.

Iran relentlessly targets Kurdish opposition in northern Iraq despite regional ceasefire - analysis

The attacks illustrate how Iran is seeking to keep up the pressure on Kurdish opposition groups. Many of these groups have forces and bases in the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Children hold signs on the day Syrian Kurds demonstrate to mark Kurdish Language Day, demanding constitutional recognition of the Kurdish language by the Syrian government, in Qamishli, Syria, May 14, 2026.

Syria’s limited Kurdish election exposes limits of Damascus’s democratic transition - analysis

Syria had already held types of limited elections in other areas of Syria last year. However, areas outside government control did not hold a vote.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A fighter from the Iranian Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) takes part in a training exercise at a base near Erbil, Iraq, in February.

Kurds continue to be under fire even amid ceasefire, fear new deal may not stop Iranian attacks

The new talk of a possible deal that might involve Iran and the US could lead to pressuring Iraq's central government to rein in Iranian-backed militias.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Turkey’s changing regional policy is a sign of stability, but Israel is wary - analysis

Today, Ankara appears to have changed course. It backs the new Syrian government and has appeared to support the Syrian Democratic Forces’ integration into the new Syrian security forces.

MAY 11, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Turkey, April 17, 2026.

Petty clashes over a sign in Syria risk snowballing into real conflict

Protesters in Hasakah and also in Qamishli object to the removal of Kurdish from official signs on government buildings.

MAY 10, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
The debris of a destroyed building and a motorbike litters the ground following a Jordanian strike on reported drugs and weapons storage facilities in the village of Arman, in the southern Druze-majority province of Sweida, of which many parts are outside the control of Damascus on May 3, 2026.

Kurdish leaders in Iraq seek stability and influence under Zaidi government - analysis

Iraqi Kurdish leaders are seeking greater influence in Baghdad as Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi forms a new government amid rising regional tensions.

MAY 7, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) members pose for the camera as they celebrate Nowruz at the Jezhnikan Village around Baharka, Iraq, on March 18, 2025.

Iran continues to attack Kurdish groups in Iraq despite new Iraqi PM

Iran and its militias have carried out more than 800 attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq since February 28, when the US and Israel began strikes on Iran.

MAY 6, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party, known as PAK take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq.

Kurdistan Region hopes for stability with new Iraq Prime Minister

Iraq’s prime minister is chosen by Shi’ite political parties to reflect the fact that Shi’ites are the largest group in Iraq, while the Kurds receive the presidency. 

MAY 2, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
New Iraqi Prime Minister designate Ali al-Zaidi, uses a phone at his office in Baghdad, Iraq, April 28, 2026.

Turkey’s approach to the Kurds shapes regional security dynamics - opinion

Ankara’s approach to the Kurds is deepening regional tensions and affecting Israel’s strategic calculations.

APRIL 29, 2026ByVEYSI DAG
A demonstrator holds a picture of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkey, February 27, 2025.

Israel and Kurdistan: Regional collapse reshapes the Middle East map - opinion

Israel and Kurdistan face shared adversaries, raising questions about new alliances as old Middle East borders weaken and fragment.

APRIL 28, 2026ByMEM HUSEDIN
A fighter from the Iranian Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) takes part in a training exercise at a base near Erbil, Iraq, in February.

US offers $10 million for information about three Iraqi militia leaders

On April 24, the United States also offered a $10m. reward for Hishim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, known as Abu Ala al-Walai, the head of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, an Iraqi paramilitary group.

APRIL 27, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A boy holds an Iraqi flag near the Iranian embassy during a gathering following the announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and the United States, in Baghdad, Iraq, April 8, 2026.

Iraq political factions fail to agree on prime minister as US pressure mounts

It has been five months since Iraq had an election in November, 2025. However, the parties can’t agree on a prime minister.

APRIL 21, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A protester holds a portrait of former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki during a protest against US President Donald Trump near the US embassy in Baghdad, on Jan. 29, 2026.

From Erbil to Rojhilat: A new Kurdish political alignment emerges - opinion

After decades of fragmentation, Iranian Kurdish groups form a new coalition with strategic implications for the region.

APRIL 19, 2026ByAMED MARDIN
Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party, known as PAK take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq February 12, 2026.