Honar Issa

I’m delighted to meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella today in Rome and discuss the longstanding friendship between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and Italy. We emphasized our shared desire to further broaden ties across various fields. I thanked Italy for its steadfast support to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, including its political, humanitarian, and development role, as well as its military assistance during the war against terror.

A powerful moment of reunion. Taken at age 7 by ISIS and raised until 19 under extremist ideology, this story is a reminder of how deeply harmful indoctrination can be. Education is one of the strongest tools against extremism. When education is distorted, lives can be led down the wrong path. When it is grounded in truth, dignity, and opportunity, it can help build peace, stronger institutions, and a better future. Welcome back home, Jamila! Kurdistan will remain a safe place for you, with unconditional love from your family, your community, and your nation!

The Center for Peace and Human Security is pleased to announce a webinar titled Middle East on the Edge of Change: Where Do Kurds Stand? Chaired by Dr. Jiyar Aghapouri, alongside a distinguished panel of international scholars and experts. Register here: shorturl.at/Fx11I

The Center for Peace and Human Security invites you to an upcoming webinar: “The Middle East on the Edge of Change: Where Do Kurds Stand?” A timely discussion on regional transformation and the evolving Kurdish position. Join here: shorturl.at/Fx11I

The Kurdistan Regional Government has established Kurdistan Accrediting Association for Education @KAAE_KRD to develop standards of quality assurance for academic institutions, including K-12 schools and colleges, and establish mechanisms of peer-review to ensure compliance. That is a good start!

@honarissa What a great insight from Davos education is truly the elephant in the room for Kurdistan prosperity How on earth can we accelerate these reforms?

From beautiful Davos, Switzerland - after three days of productive meetings and panel discussions - the key outcome has been gaining stronger support for educational reform in the Kurdistan Region, the true elephant in the room when it comes to long-term economic prosperity.

يجب ان نشكل حكومة وطنية طارئة فورا او نذهب للمجهول .. #العراق_اولا #الاعمار_والتنمية #امارجي

President Masoud Barzani has said that rushing to elect Iraq’s next president will lead to "counterproductive" results and "deeper divisions," stressing the need for further consultation and taking into account the entitlement of all political components thenewregion.com/posts/4984

For several years, the Iraqi Federal Government has used so-called “technical and legal disputes” as a cover for politically driven pressure against the Kurdistan Region (KR). Recent militia attacks inside Iraq amid U.S.–Israel–Iran tensions expose this strategy for what it is - leverage to weaken and control the KR. Constitutional rights have been repeatedly sidelined through these tactics. It is time to consider alternative frameworks - similar to Taiwan - that can safeguard the KR’s stability and protect a key U.S. ally in an increasingly volatile Middle East. Great article by @YerevanSaeed As Iran attacks, the US should provide air defense for Iraqi Kurdistan atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasour…

I condemn in the strongest terms the missile and drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region, which led to the martyrdom of six Peshmerga members and caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure.

First Newroz under the new regime in Syria. It is now officially recognized — that is a positive step. But nothing has really changed in how people think. Racism is still there. Respect and acceptance are still missing. In the end, real coexistence in the “new Syria” is still uncertain.

Thousands of people in Turkey's Kurdish-majority Diyarbakir province gathered to celebrate Nowruz

"The most shocking Israeli action, particularly from the Gulf viewpoint, was Israel’s attack in Qatar." Revisit this piece by Dr. Dalia Dassa Kaye on the struggle to build a stable regional order: mepsforum.org/post/the-story…

"Compared to Israel, Gulf cities lack robust early-warning policies; there is no comprehensive network of shelters across their territories."—@JeanLoupSamaan Revisit this compilation of analysis and insights from our network of experts following the escalation in the Iran War: mepsforum.org/post/the-war-w…

“Iraqi officials claim they cannot confront these militias militarily, but the government still has options: publicly name the factions responsible, cut off their funding, expel them from the PMF, and possibly confiscate their weapons.” — @MohammedASalih Read the full analysis: mepsforum.org/post/the-war-w…

“Kurdistan has become one of the arenas through which Tehran wages a multi-front campaign against U.S. interests and Iranian Kurdish opposition groups.”— @MohammedASalih Read the full analysis: mepsforum.org/post/the-war-w…

“Iran’s near-simultaneous attack on these countries and other neighbours has led some to question the durability of this image. The level of violence these states have just experienced is unprecedented.” —Dr. Yaniv Voller of @RUSI_org Read the full analysis: mepsforum.org/post/the-war-w…

Meet our Board of Trustees of the Kurdistan Accrediting Association for Education (KAAE) Serving as the KAAE’s governing body, the Board provides strategic oversight, ensures institutional accountability, and supports the advancement of accreditation across the Kurdistan Region

Happy to have contributed to this collection of expert views published by the @MEPSForum on the regional impact of the war, focusing on attacks by Iran-tied Shia militia groups against Kurdistan: "The militias operate through a deliberate grey-zone strategy. When they carry out attacks, they claim responsibility as “resistance” factions, issuing statements in the name of the anti-U.S. “Islamic resistance.” But when they are targeted and killed by U.S. strikes, they suddenly become members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state institution formally integrated into Iraq’s security apparatus."

"On this note, one island of stability that often does not receive the attention it deserves is the Kurdistan Region in Iraq, a pillar within the region’s evolving security architecture" Worth reading this compilation from @MEPSForum. mepsforum.org/post/the-war-w…

The Syrian government’s attack on Syria’s Kurds has had wide ranging geopolitical and humanitarian consequences. MEPS Insights draws on the analysis of several experts to examine the urgency of addressing the crisis. Read the contributions: mepsforum.org/post/the-syria…