Bahrooz Jaafar

Bahrooz Jaafar hails from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from Cyprus International University (2017–2023) in Nicosia. He is the founder and head of the Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

Linking the Eastern Mediterranean and Gulf Energy Hubs: The Expanding US Strategic Role

10/19/2024 12:51:00 PM

Exclusive Summary: The Eastern Mediterranean basin, encompassing Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey, has emerged since the late 2000s as a focal point of energy competition, ideological struggles, historical conflicts, and rising regional ambitions. This region forms part of a broader geopolitical landscape where the interests of the United States, the European Union, Russia, and China intersect. Increasingly, the Eastern Mediterranean

Fortifying Futures: Securing Energy Sovereignty through the Kurdistan Region's Khor Mor Gas Field

5/8/2024 6:13:00 AM

Amidst global economic challenges, including concerns over energy and food security, oil operations in the Kurdistan Region face a myriad of threats encompassing security, political, legal, financial, and geological factors. However, within these challenges lie significant opportunities for capitalizing on Kurdistan's hydrocarbon potential and enhancing revenue streams. The recent announcement by Dana Gas company regarding a 50% increase in gas production from the Khor Mor field since early 2022

Analyzing Russia’s Involvement in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region’s Energy Sector

4/4/2024 8:02:00 AM

As geopolitical chess pieces move, Moscow, with Beijing as its ally, strategically advances towards controlling the energy narrative and investment in Iraq, an effort to distance Baghdad from Western energy engagements and align it with the emerging Iran-Saudi Arabia axis. By the year 2023, Russia's stake in Iraqi energy would have reached $19 billion. Furthermore, in March 2023, the Iraqi state-owned Dhi Qar Oil Company (DQOC) ratified the development plans for Block 10 reserves.

Analyzing Russia’s Involvement in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region’s Energy Sector

12/13/2023 7:16:00 PM

As geopolitical chess pieces move, Moscow, with Beijing as its ally, strategically advances towards controlling the energy narrative and investment in Iraq, an effort to distance Baghdad from Western energy engagements and align it with the emerging Iran-Saudi Arabia axis. By the year 2023, Russia's stake in Iraqi energy would have reached $19 billion.

The Geopolitics of the Iraqi Kurdistan Natural Gas: A Stalemate or a Shift in Perspective?

10/15/2023 7:52:00 PM

The Iraqi Kurdistan Region still has its pipeline infrastructure، the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) oil pipeline starts from the Taq Taq field, which is connected to the Khurmala Dome by 81 kilometers. Substantially, the Kurdistan's oil pipeline was completed in 2014, and it is a 281 kilometers pipeline that runs from the Khurmala field to Pesh Kabir (Fesh Khabur)

A multi-front war in the Middle East: What will be the consequences?

10/8/2023 8:52:00 PM

On Saturday morning, October 7, 2023, Hamas fighters infiltrated Israel in an unprecedented and complex attack. They were killing more than 600 Jews and wounding hundreds of other Israelis. The Palestinian armed groups have also taken Israelis hostage. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded to attacks on the Gaza Strip by said, "We are at war". What was behind this shocking attack, and what lies ahead for Israel and the region?

The Geopolitics of the Iraqi Kurdistan Natural Gas: A Stalemate or a Shift in Perspective?

8/23/2023 8:52:00 PM

Several problems surround the Kurdistan Region's natural reserves; internal political divisions and the lack of institutions, successive pressures from the central government in Baghdad, and regional efforts to keep the Kurds away from the energy issue. If the Iraqi Kurdish leaders develop a new energy security vision and build effective institutions, the region's natural gas could bring about geopolitical change.

The Role of Powerbroking in the Mediterranean Hydrocarbon Issue and Its Impact on Environmental Crisis - A Kin-State Case Dimension on Cyprus

7/11/2023 12:42:00 PM

The Mediterranean Sea is prone to pollution as it is almost entirely enclosed by land and its warm waters need more than 80-90 years to clean and revive themselves. The dynamic environment and climate variables affect this region, known as the cradle of civilization

Vilnius Summit: What will NATO do next?

7/10/2023 11:26:00 AM

NATO summit will be held in Vilnius on July 11-12, 2023. This is NATO's fourth summit since the outbreak of the war. Ukraine wants to join NATO. Vladimir Zilinsky received Turkey's friendly support during his July 7, 2023 visit. Sweden has also expected Turkey to lift its veto, and talks in Brussels on Turkey's demands have made good progress.

Regional Consequences of the Saudi Arabia - Iran Reconciliation: What Does It Mean for the Kurds?

3/24/2023 9:50:00 AM

Iran and Saudi Arabia are two influential regional actors in the Middle East; Their conflicts threaten regional and global security. On 10 March 2023, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to normalize relations and reopen embassies in each other’s capitals. The agreement came after years of hostility, as it appeared Chine has successfully normalized the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran; resuming relations between the two countries is expected to have widespread consequences for the Middle East

The KRG's Energy Sector: The Search for Regional Stability

2/18/2023 9:30:00 PM

Overall, without the support of the United States and Europe, the energy security of the Kurdistan Region and the KRI entirely will be threatened by Iran and Iraqi militia groups (Probably Turkey's rulers will be silent). Also, Political, economic, and social stability cannot be achieved without reforms inside the Kurdistan Region.

Energy Geopolitics and Conflict between Energy Basins: A Perspective beside Securitization of the New Regional and Global Order

12/29/2022 11:49:00 AM

Are these conflicts more energy-related, or do they have historical and political depth? Will natural gas pipelines (the new energy geopolitics) lead to a new common regional cooperation system, or is it a source of conflict and increasing regional problems? This study, from the Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies, attempts to understand the essence of problems by identifying three main energy basins and showing what the new regional and global energy system will look like.

The United States and the Kurdistan Region's Energy Issue

12/6/2022 11:45:00 AM

Hydrocarbons in the main basins of the Gulf, the Black Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean have sparked the most dialogue at various levels. Regarding geographical position, the Kurdistan Region is between the three major strategic factions. This analysis discusses the level and limits of coalition support for the Kurdistan Region. As always, the U.S. administration in 2022, at various levels of support for the oil and gas sector of the Kurdistan Region, for example, during the visit of the U.S.

In the face of change, Iraq and the Kurdistan Region: Are opportunities and threats enough?

12/2/2022 7:41:00 PM

If World War I had not happened, Qatar would not be a state today, nor would the World Cup be held in the Middle East. If the Kurds had not revolted in September 1961, Saddam Hussein would not have reached an agreement with the Shah of Iran in 1974. If it had not been for Saddam's regret of the covenant, there would have been no eight-year Iran- Iraq war. Moreover, the UN Security Council did not recognize the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as a de facto in 1991.

The Eastern Mediterranean Energy Summit Without Turkey

10/25/2021 3:31:00 PM

On October 18, 2021, the ninth summit of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea between Egypt, Cyprus and Greece on the issues of energy and security was held (as in previous times) without Turkey. Israel is always attended in this summit. Cyprus, Greece, Egypt and Israel have a very strong relationship. The priority of their relations refers to natural gas. They have been negotiating for ten years, and they have been in negotiations on presidency levels. Ankara, every year after finish the summit of th

Kurdistan Region in the face of the world francization

8/29/2021 8:14:00 AM

After a lot of stress from the republic presidency, Iraqi government, the state institutions and traveling from a place to another, the thing that they named (Baghdad summit) and couldn’t be enough for a summit. The senior officials of Jordan, Egypt and France were in the conference, and they’ve been to Iraq in less than a year before that and, also there was conversations between the presidents of these countries and Iraq by telephone. Iraq still confronting too much threats and challenges from

The water shortage crisis in Iraq: its risks, manifestations, and mechanisms for dealing with it

8/2/2021 1:02:00 PM

The geographical location in which the Arab world is located in the Middle East and North Africa is known to be dry, with few rivers, and less rain and snowfall than the rest of the world. The temperature in it is high, in addition to the low level of awareness; the government's management of its water is not at the required level. Because of the presence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Iraq is one of the richest countries in terms of water resources, but external and internal factors thirst

The Syrian Crisis and The Sincerity of The European Union

5/20/2021 10:42:00 AM

The Syrian regime in its typical autocratic character did not respond to this the right way, the killing of the young protesters by the security forces of the state triggered an outrage that led to statewide protest. Sirkeci and Cohen (2016) stated further that the protest against the government of al-Assad in Syria and gradually it evolved into an armed conflict between oppositions and government forces in certain cities and then later degenerated into a full scale civil war.

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