Iraqi Kurdistan

Israeli citizen Ben Hasin was released from prison in Iraqi Kurdistan after 11 years. Initially sentenced to death for murder, his sentence was commuted following legal and diplomatic efforts.

The US will withdraw all air defense systems from Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan as part of its military exit by September 2026, according to Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji.

Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Kurdish autonomy in Iraq, studied law at the University of Tehran and speaks fluent Persian, yet his government is close to Washington and suffers from Iran's heavy hand. His rule is a symbol of an almost impossible aspiration for regional stability, and the assistance he provided to the Americans in accessing the top brass of the IRGC demonstrates the complex...

Units of the 23rd Airborne Brigade of the Iranian army participated in a series of raids against rebels, while talks with the Americans were ongoing. During Operation "Lion's Roar," the possibility was raised that Kurdish forces would be used to topple the regime in Tehran, and now Tehran is taking revenge on its opponents without American interference.