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U.S. Envoy for Iraq Ousted Amid Tensions with Baghdad Mark Savaya, appointed by President Donald Trump as special envoy for Iraq in October, has been removed from the role, according to sources cited in a Reuters report. The Iraqi-American entrepreneur, lacking diplomatic experience, reportedly mishandled key issues, including failing to block the nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whom Trump has warned against. This development occurs amid escalating U.S.-Iraq tensions over Iranian influence. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack is believed to be assuming Iraq duties, though officials declined comment. Savaya denied the change, but sources say he never officially joined the State Department, and his X account has gone offline.

The @Kurdistan Region Ministry of Education announced that these two photos will be used as the covers of primary school textbooks next year. Images of both children went viral after they appeared in demonstrations backing Rojava, drawing widespread attention across the Kurdistan Region.

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Iraq’s Prime Ministerial Deadlock: How Nouri al-Maliki, Donald Trump, and a Fragile State Collided Peregraf Analysis – Baghdad’s latest political crisis did not erupt suddenly. It unfolded through a sequence of calculated withdrawals, silent rivalries, and external red lines—until a blunt warning from #Washington forced #Iraq’s ruling Shiite establishment into its most dangerous dilemma in years. Now, with the judiciary and the prime minister’s own political bloc weighing in, the standoff has expanded beyond factional rivalry into a test of Iraq’s constitutional order and external alignments. At the center of the storm stands Nouri al-Maliki, the former prime minister whose long shadow still divides Iraq’s political class. His unexpected emergence as the official candidate of the Shiite Coordination Framework—after Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani stepped aside—appeared at first to signal the restoration of an old order. Instead, it has exposed the limits of Iraqi sovereignty in an economy tethered to the United States and a political system fractured from within. peregraf.com/en/report/10754

As of mid-January 2026, Iran is gripped by one of the most severe domestic crises since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. What began as economic protests on December 28, 2025 - triggered by the dramatic collapse of the rial currency, hyperinflation, and worsening living conditions has escalated into nationwide anti-government demonstrations across all 31 provinces. The unrest intensified dramatically around January 8, with reports of millions taking to the streets, general strikes, and direct challenges to the Islamic Republic's clerical rule. Slogans have included calls for the return of the monarchy (supporting exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi) and broader demands for regime change. The government's response has been exceptionally brutal. Security forces, including the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), have used live ammunition, machine guns, and indiscriminate fire against mostly peaceful protesters and bystanders.

A recent decision by education officials in Erbil to segregate boys and girls at a village school has sparked debate. The change, implemented at Martyr Akram School in Jamk village after complaints from some parents and religious leaders citing conflicts with their values, has raised concerns about its impact on students’ education. Since the school was split into two separate institutions, it has struggled with a shortage of teachers, further disrupting the learning environment. In protest, students staged a strike earlier this week, urging local authorities to delay the segregation until the end of the academic year. #Kurdistan

The United Kingdom calls on Kurdish political parties to expedite the formation of a new cabinet — British Consul General to Erbil, @AndrewBizley. This appeal comes weeks after the successful conclusion of the long-overdue parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region.

Op-ed on recent @Kurdistan parliamentary elections from @KamalChomani on @rosaluxbeirut - the facade of democracy between two political parties. rosalux-lb.org/publications/h…

As PUK-KDP relations continue to deteriorate, unofficial checkpoint levies have resurfaced along the KDP-PUK zones: tankers now face these charges while still within the official boundaries of Erbil province, which is divided between KDP and PUK control. The enforcement mechanism requires fuel tanker drivers to register their vehicle details at zone boundaries—a procedure typically reserved for international borders—despite operating within what is officially a single province. These checkpoints, located near Koya in Erbil province, mark the dividing line between KDP and PUK zones. At PUK checkpoints, tankers departing from Erbil are required to pay $500–$600, while at KDP checkpoints, tankers coming from Sulaimani pay $300. Although labeled as “customs fees,” these charges lack any legal or regulatory basis and operate entirely outside the Finance Ministry’s oversight. The implementation of these unofficial transit fees has triggered a direct increase in consumer fuel costs. The price for 200 liters of diesel has escalated from 110,000 to 130,000 dinars - an 18% surge that can be traced directly to these checkpoint charges.

Kurdistan Watch @KurdistanWatch

2 years ago

As PUK-KDP zone lines sharpen, extortion levies at their checkpoints have increased. Here are three examples: This is a video from a PUK checkpoint at the entrance to the PUK zone from Erbil shows diesel trucks being forced to pay $600 in extortion levies that directly feed PUK

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The UK is partnering with the Kurdistan Region to tackle “organized immigration crime” as Kurdish groups dominate smuggling routes into Britain. A UK @NCA_UK NCA spokesperson emphasized their ongoing collaboration with law enforcement in the region to address shared threats.

📈 Since the start of this year, nearly 3 million people from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have visited Iran—a nearly 50% increase compared to 2023.

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