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Preparing for a Potential U.S. Strike… Iranian Kurdish Parties Form a “Unified Front”
Over the eight months following the twelve-day war between Iran and Israel, Iranian Kurdish opposition parties have intensified their meetings, seeking to overcome long-standing divisions and forge a unified front in anticipation of a phase that could follow any large-scale confrontation between Tehran and Washington. Last Sunday, five prominent Kurdish organizations announced the formation of…
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Setting a Date for Sanctions: Tom Barrack Delivers a New Message to Baghdad
An Iraqi official revealed on Thursday to Alhurra a new message sent by Washington to Baghdad regarding the nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to lead the next government. The message was delivered to Baghdad a few days ago by the U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack. A government adviser told Alhurra that…
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Between Iraq and Iran… A Border Bracing for Fire
“The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has not left a single stretch of the border with Iraq without deploying heavy units, ballistic missile launch platforms, and radar systems in preparation for war,” Shirwan Jami, a military leader in the Iran-opposition Kurdistan Freedom Party, told Alhurra. Iran continues its preparations to repel any potential U.S. attack, at a…
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Iraqi Maps Infuriate Gulf Governments
Border disputes between Iraq and Kuwait resurfaced this week after the Iraqi government announced that it had deposited maps of its maritime boundaries with the United Nations, a move that angered Kuwait, the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, and several other Arab countries. Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the step was…
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Cairo Seeks to Cool the Reactor of the Iranian Nuclear Crisis
From Muscat to Doha, from Tehran to Washington, and through coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has been conducting intensive diplomatic outreach in a preemptive effort to contain a potential explosion stemming from the Iranian nuclear program crisis. The pace of Egypt’s communications reveals a phased trajectory that began…
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Five Days, One Exit: Inside the Iran Strike Window
The United States has two tracks open on Iran right now, and only one of them ends without war. The question this week is which one closes first. President Donald Trump issued a 10- to 15-day ultimatum to Iran at the Board of Peace meeting on Feb. 19, placing the outer edge of his stated…
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Iraq’s Ruling Coalition Is Turning on Maliki
The Shia political alliance that controls Iraq’s parliament is moving toward dropping former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as its nominee for prime minister. Political sources told MBN that sentiment within the Coordination Framework has shifted, with more factions now opposing his candidacy than supporting it. The coalition is holding what sources describe as a “critical”…
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Largest U.S. Military Buildup Since the Iraq War Points to a Long-Term War with Iran
The United States continues to deploy large numbers of combat forces to the Middle East in what has been described as the largest concentration of air power in the region since the 2003 Iraq war. This time, the target is Iran. The buildup does not merely suggest that a military strike against Iran is imminent.…
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Iran’s Streets and Nuclear Table: Two Different Battles
Iranian protesters are not backing down. Over the weekend, students staged demonstrations at major campuses in Tehran and Mashhad, the first significant campus protests since January’s crackdown, which rights groups HRANA and Amnesty International say killed thousands. Videos from BBC Persian and Iran International show students denouncing “the dictator,” the Revolutionary Guard, and the Islamic…
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Trump Sets Deadline for Iran
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday set a timeline for deciding whether to continue diplomacy with Iran or order a military strike. Speaking at the first meeting of the Peace Council he formed in Washington on Thursday, Trump urged Iran to reach an agreement, indicating he could decide within 10 days on the possibility of…