Iraqi Kurdistan's wrong turn
Burdened by political and economic crises at home, the autonomous region faces difficult talks with a newly confident federal government in Baghdad
In the September referendum, Iraqi Kurds enthusiastically seized the rope that was supposed to haul them up into a new era of independence. But the rope turned out to be slippery. Within days of the overwhelming vote in favour of statehood the Iraqi Kurdish region was floundering—the long-held aspiration of independence snuffed out in a trice, the political leadership in Erbil humiliated. How did the mighty fall? For more than a decade the Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI) exuded self-confidence, promoting an image of stability and efficiency that Kurds successfully contrasted with the flimsy security and administrative shambles in many of the parts of Iraq governed by the federal authorities in
Also in this section
11 August 2025
The administration is pushing for deregulation and streamlined permitting for natural gas, while tightening requirements and stripping away subsidies from renewables
8 August 2025
The producers’ group missed its output increase target for the month and may soon face a critical test of its strategy
7 August 2025
The quick, unified and decisive strategy to return all the barrels from the hefty tranche of cuts from the eight producers involved in voluntary curbs signals a shift and sets the tone for the path ahead
7 August 2025
Without US backing, the EU’s newest sanctions package against Russia—though not painless—is unlikely to have a significant impact on the country’s oil and gas revenues or its broader economy
