The contrasts are huge: official statements of loss and grief versus fireworks and celebratory dancing. The death of the Iranian President Raisi shows more clearly than ever how much the regime in Tehran is hated among its own population.
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What Rutte and Sudani discussed in The Hague
Soon, the Netherlands will lead the NATO mission in Iraq. At a time when the anti-ISIS coalition is being down-scaled, while pro-Iranian Shiite militias pose a new threat.
Continue readingThe repetitive dance around America’s departure from Iraq
A pro-Iranian militia in Iraq has suspended its attacks on the American military, after three soldiers were killed. However, this is just a step in the dance around the American departure from Iraq.
Continue readingThe Triangle of ISIS, Iran, and the USA
With its suicide attack in Iran, ISIS has showcased the danger it still embodies. Inadvertently, in doing so, it has also furnished its other nemesis, the USA, a rationale to sustain its military forces in Iraq.
Continue readingIraqi parliament speaker gets dismissed – and Iran is again behind it
In Iraq, the speaker of the parliament has been dismissed as part of Iran’s divide-and-rule politics in its neighboring country. Tehran uses the war in Gaza to increasingly force Iraq to its side.
Continue readingOpen letter to my former president
The lack of unity among the Kurds in Iraq leads to power games from Baghdad and the neighbors. It is up to Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani to convince Kurdish politicians that they will only survive this together.
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