Dr. Hanar Marouf

Below 🧵…. 1. Pink covered my viva presentation, a masculine topic (some might say) on Iran’s involvement in Iraq since 2003 with a colour recognized as women’s favorite.

ئارامیەک کە هیچ شەڕێک ناتوانێت بیشکێنێت.

A deeply caring journalist who truly loved Iraq. I still remember her telling me about her journey to Pakistan, covering the Taliban, with that colorful scarf draped over her shoulder from there. Hoping you’re safe @shellykittleson; you’re in my thoughts!

A silence no war can break, my way back to myself.

A Message from President Masoud #Barzani In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, The #Kurdistan Region has never been part of the conflicts, tensions, and wars in the region. However, unfortunately, there are some who, without any restraint, focus primarily on how and by what means to oppose the Kurdistan Region. They continuously and unjustly attack the Region and the Peshmerga, posing a threat to the lives and stability of the people of Kurdistan. Over the past years, they have repeatedly carried out unjust and unwarranted drone and missile attacks against the Kurdistan Region and #Peshmerga bases, resulting in the martyrdom and injury of innocent people. Since the beginning of this war, they have launched more than 450 missile and drone attacks against the Kurdistan Region and Peshmerga forces. During this period, they have also attacked our headquarters five times. We remained silent so as not to create panic and anger among the public. Yesterday, in #Duhok, they carried out a drone attack on the residence of the President of the Region. The matter is not about a house or a headquarters—every part of Kurdistan and every home in Kurdistan is of value to us. These kinds of attacks are clear acts of aggression, great injustice, and violations against the Kurdistan Region, and they require a serious and decisive solution. In reality, condemnation, phone calls, statements, and committees are not enough. The Iraqi authorities must make their position clear: either they declare that they are unable to prevent these unlawful groups, or they must take serious steps to uphold the state and implement firm measures to prevent further unjust attacks on the Kurdistan Region. We reaffirm that the people of Kurdistan, with a firm will, will defend their peaceful message and their just cause. No threat, attack, or enemy has been able, nor will be able, to break this will. Masoud Barzani 29 March 2026

A durable regional policy must address both state actions & Iran’s transitional militia network. If current dynamics stay,trust among regional states further erode since Iran crossed key sovereignty boundaries. A more hardened,post-conflict Iran may prove even harder to engage.

@lcmporter Keep the great work coming 😘

Obviously a lot more important stuff has been going on, so I completely missed this, but this month it’s been an entire *decade* since I quit my desk job in London to become a foreign correspondent. Time changes you. I don’t feel the same excitement about the world as I did then. I have become more cynical and far less willing to book a flight and see what happens. But I am still curious about going to new places and meeting new people, or returning to old ones and seeing what has changed. I am more confident in myself, while knowing that most people (including myself) don’t really know what is going on or what is going to happen. People who claim otherwise are probably lying. I write this as the industry I chose becomes ever harder to work in. Jobs are being cut all over the place; budgets are lower, and almost no one is optimistic. And yet I will carry on. It’s one of the most interesting jobs one can do. Every day I learn something new (yesterday it was how to say “puppet” in Farsi (عروسک) ; today it was how to use a teleprompter app. And so while this industry lasts, I will continue.

ڕۆحتان شاد بێت پێشمەرگەی کورد! قوربانیتان و ناوتان بە شانازی هەمیشە دەژی. #kurdistan #IranWar‌

If true, it shows how fluid things are. But calling figures “hot options”may not land well diplomatically, where perception matters as much as intent. Also, how this is seen in Iran &whether it helps or complicates. Though, it worked out great in the Middle East every other time!

A pause on escalation likely reflects economic risks, limits in protecting critical infrastructure, regional pressure for restraint, and strained defence capacities. Iran has adapted, absorbing pressure, while the strategic and economic burden increasingly shifts to others.

At what point do we call the Iran -US -Israel war what it may be: World War III? Is it when states openly bomb each other, missiles span a region, global energy routes choke & the entire world economy feels it? or is it just a label we delay using, until it’s too late to matter?

What we see in Iraq today, actors operating beyond state authority, reflects a challenge overlooked for the past 23 years. Rapid institution-building without durable governance has had lasting costs. One hopes the current situation prompts a long-overdue reassessment!

Political messaging often runs ahead of verifiable facts. Yet observable trends persist: Iran is refining air defence, scaling coordinated drone use& improving missile precision. Setbacks haven’t broken the system, Tehran adjusts under pressure, learns & seems to adapt!

نەورۆزتان پیرۆز

@asosaleh As you correctly pointed out, the objectives at this stage are missing. Meanwhile, pressures are mounting across regions financially, politically, diplomatically, and militarily, without a clear direction.

@Hanar_Marouf This analysis has been repeated many times by European analysts and politicians, but it is not correct. It depends on the end goal of the war, and no one knows what that is.

How does Iran claim to project strength & centralized authority when Israel appears able to strike its top power brokers at will, recently Larijani (if confirmed) forcing a more decentralized military that risks fragmentation & dangerous miscalculations in an escalating war?

If Iran “learned” from the Iran - Iraq War victory is not about winning battles but about controlling when and how a war ends, does this mean modern conflicts depend more on narrative, endurance & timing,making traditional measures of military superiority increasingly irrelevant?

Almost ten attacks over Erbil since Iftar, yet the Citadel & the bazaar had no room for one more soul. The city keeps breathing through another Ramadan night 🙏🏻

The war shows Tehran isn’t just trying to survive, it’s using the confrontation to renegotiate regional rules on sanctions, energy, and Gulf security, partly by expanding the conflict. The question: will Iran emerge more like South Korea or North Korea?

ئەوەی دەیڵێم ڕەگی لە ڕیتۆریکی ناسیۆنالیستییەوە نییە، بەڵکو لە ئەزموونە بەڵگەدارەکانی کورد لە ناوچەکەدا سەرچاوە دەگرێت. توێژینەوە زانستییەکانیش ئاماژە بە دووبارەبوونەوەی نەخشەکانی پەراوێزخستن، ململانێ و ئامرازکردنی سیاسی دەکەن؛ڕەوتێک کە پیشان دەدات ئەزموونی کورد لە ناوچەکەدا سەختە

بەڵام سەرەڕای ئەم پشتبەستنە دووبارەبووەوە، بە دەگمەن دەگۆڕدرێت بۆ ناساندنی سیاسەتی پایدار، گشتگیری دامەزراوەیی،یان گەرەنتی درێژخایەن. لە کاتی قەیرانەکاندا کورد وەک پێویستییەکی تاکتیکی مامەڵەی لەگەڵ دەکرێت،بەڵام بە دەگمەن وەک هاوبەشێکی ستراتیژی لە دیزاینی سیاسی ناوچەکەدا دەبینرێت.

کورد هاوبەشی ستراتیژییە لە قەیرانەکاندا و لەبیرکراوە لە کاتی ئاشتیدا 👇🏻🧵 ئەوەی لە جیۆپۆلەتیکی ڕۆژهەڵاتی ناوەڕاستدا جێگەی سەرنجە ئەوەیە کە پرسی کورد بەردەوام لە ناوەندی هاوکێشەکاندا بووە.