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Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

The Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies (MIRS) is an academic non-governmental organization that focuses on research in the field of public policy and considers itself an essential aspect of work to study energy security,

Final kink obstructs reopening of Iraq-Turkey pipeline

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

3/22/2025 7:41:00 PM

It raises a cornucopia of issues: declining Russian oil exports to Turkey, US pressure on Iraq to stop illicit Iraqi oil exports to Iran, peace with the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in eastern Turkey, how to split oil revenue between the Iraqi central government in Baghdad and the autonomous Kurdish region, and, finally, how to settle $1 billion dollars in arrears.

$70 Oil? Analysts Cut Forecasts as Supply Surges

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

3/22/2025 7:05:00 PM

On the supply side, OPEC+ early this month confirmed it would begin adding barrels to the market as early as next month. Of course, OPEC+ left the door open to any changes to its supply in any direction, saying in the press release that it remains “adaptable to evolving conditions,” and “Accordingly, this gradual increase may be paused or reversed subject to market conditions.”

The end of the transatlantic alliance Europe has lost its way

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

2/17/2025 4:17:00 PM

The great American-European divorce has played out in three areas — Ukraine, free speech, and trade. Last week, Donald Trump blindsided the Europeans with his announcement of peace talks with Vladimir Putin. (He said he would do this during his election campaign, but Europe’s leaders were clearly not paying attention.) Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, told the Europeans on Saturday that they will not be included in high-level peace negotiations.

A New Stage in the Qamishli–Al-Sham Conflict

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

1/20/2025 10:49:00 AM

Under the Sykes-Picot Agreement, as with other parts of Kurdistan, the geographical region of West Kurdistan (referred to as North and East Syria, or Rojava by the Kurds) was forcibly annexed to the newly established Syrian Arab state after World War I, without Kurdish consent. Neither during the French mandate nor in the post-independence era were the Kurds, the country’s second-largest ethnic group, granted legitimate rights. Oppression reached such an extent that many Kurds were stripped of

Syria Is Again a Victim of Its Geography

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

12/15/2024 9:06:00 AM

Now that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has emerged as the victors of the Syrian civil war, it’s tempting to imagine the country restored to some semblance of stability. In truth, there is no stability to restore. As much as the civil war was a sectarian and ideological conflict, it was also always a war created and fueled by the country’s fundamental geography. The end of this chapter of war likely means the beginning of the next chapter of conflict.

KRI Election Campaign and Iraq's Resistance Front: Dividing the Kurdistan Region into Two Administrations

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

10/10/2024 1:21:00 PM

The Iraqi Resistance Front, which includes Hashd al-Shaabi, has launched around 200 attacks on Israeli targets and coalition forces in the region over the past year. Israel’s direct objective has now shifted to delivering a decisive blow to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The stark reality is that the Iraqi federal government is unable to control its Shiite militias, which claim to follow the directives of Iran's Supreme Leader. Ironically, these militias essentially operate as extensions of the I

The true image of Iraq: Services, economy, capable security forces

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

9/30/2024 12:49:00 PM

Anyone who reads the article by Michael Knights, a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, titled “Watergate Scandal in Iraq and Its Implications for U.S.-Iraq Relations,” will find three main points:

The Battle for the BRICS

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

9/24/2024 7:15:00 PM

Putin will be able to claim that despite the West’s best efforts to isolate Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, his country not only is far from being an international pariah but also is now a pivotal member of a dynamic group that will shape the future of the international order. That message is not mere rhetorical posturing, nor is it simply a testament to the Kremlin’s skillful diplomacy with non-Western countries or to those countries’ self-interested, pragmatic engagement with

U.S. Uses Two Key Strategies To Keep Iran from Escalating Attacks on Israel

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

9/24/2024 6:49:00 PM

From the moment that Iranian proxy terrorist organisation Hamas launched multiple coordinated attacks on Israel on 7 October last year, the primary fear of further escalation in the region has centred on how Iran might escalate the ongoing Israel-Hamas War. On 13 April, Iran directly attacked Israel from its own territory for the first time in a series of missile and drone launches following the Israeli bombing of the Iranian embassy in Syria.

Balancing Technological Support and Personal Endeavors

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

5/8/2024 6:07:00 AM

Numerous jokes are circulating within my family about my grandparents or their siblings when they were first introduced to the radio or other technological devices. Some of them might have been exaggerated with elements of truth narrated by different witnesses pieced back together to give a complete picture. My great grandmother, for instance, once wondered if the man on TV reading the news could see her. When she was told “no,” she questioned, “Then why does it seem like he's staring straight i

Kenneth Waltz’s Final Warning on Iran

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

5/5/2024 1:46:00 PM

Iran’s role in the October 7th attacks was not direct, but Tehran has provided abundant financial resources to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Global affairs experts realized quickly that the potential for Iran, its proxies, and allies to be drawn into a regional coalition against Israel was dangerously high. The likelihood of regional conflagration has altered the geopolitical landscape and severely impeded global supply chain routes. Israel, a major player in the global economy, was now

Iraq Needs a New Kind of Partnership With the United States: The Path to Sustainable Cooperation

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

4/12/2024 7:26:00 AM

Since then, U.S.-Iraqi relations have gone through ups and downs, periods of engagement and disengagement, with positions sometimes aligned and other times beset by tensions. Throughout, however, there has been a shared understanding among leaders of both countries that our relationship would remain a strategic priority, underpinned by shared interest and collaborative efforts to overcome difficulties.

The Federal Supreme Court’s Role in Iraq’s Eroding Democracy

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

4/3/2024 12:06:00 PM

While we see numerous examples of successfully functioning constitutional courts in federal states, the current situation in Iraq may be the clearest manifestation of the danger posed by the reverse case. Iraq’s highest court is itself unconstitutional in that it was not included in Constitution’s provisions, and the court has recently deviated from its previously defined authority by working as an instrument of politics that beats down what it sees as rivals in political disagreements.

How can Natural Resources in KRG serve Education in Nation-Building?

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

3/26/2024 3:09:00 PM

While natural resources can provide immediate economic benefits, education is fundamental for long-term prosperity, social development, and building resilient economies. Ultimately, a balanced approach that considers natural resources and education, along with diversification of the economy, sustainable resource management, and investment in human capital, is crucial for effective nation-building.

CONTINUED REGIONAL ESCALATION AND LIMITED US STRIKE

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

2/2/2024 2:32:00 PM

Targeting the American facility on the Syrian Jordanian border and the inevitable American military response to the American soldiers killed by the attack, highlighted the urgent need for The Gulf countries to swiftly deal with any potential repercussions of the American response, which is likely to occur in Syria and Iraq. At the same time, the assessment in the region is based on dealing with the broader regional escalation in the Middle East, which is expected to continue whether the American

Before US elections, Iraq is forcing America to answer—which ‘forever war’ is worth fighting

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

2/2/2024 2:17:00 PM

Early in the New Year of a new millennium, 1900, a steamer dropped anchor off the ancient city of Nuevitas in Cuba. Hundreds of eager Americans gathered on the deck under the glistening noonday sun to examine their new homeland. “They wore no uniforms, nor did they gather either guns or swords,” one contemporary witness recorded. Two years earlier, America had gone to war against Spain, grabbing Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Philippines.

The Road to Dubai

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

11/27/2023 12:12:00 PM

cop 1 was held in 1995 in Berlin’s International Congress Center, a massive, metal-clad complex that looks like the set for a dystopian movie. Around nine hundred government delegates attended the weeklong negotiating session, along with about a thousand observers from non-governmental organizations. Daimler-Benz brought some electric cars to show off, while young activists brought a steamroller, to convey their opposition to cars. Delegates were invited to take a trip along the River Spree in a

Developing the public sector: What should the Kurdistan Regional Government do?

Mediterranean Institute for Regional Studies

10/25/2023 5:56:00 PM

Improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness of government institutions and services is part of developing the public sector. A well-functioning public sector is critical for economic progress, social welfare, and good governance. Here are some essential strategies and considerations for public sector development:
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