Tag Archives | Kurdish Independence

Iran, Iraq to Stage Joint Military Drills in Coming Days

The armed forces of Iran and neighboring Iraq plan to hold joint military exercises in coming days, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri announced. Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, Brigadier General Jazayeri said the commanders of Iran’s Armed Forces held a meeting on Saturday chaired by Chief […]

Post-Referendum Threats And Demands

This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi Kurdish Politicians Talk About Post-Referendum Threats And Demands While many uncertainties remain about Iraqi Kurdistan’s referendum on independence, there is one thing that seems clear to the people on […]

Baghdad Suspends Int'l Flights to Erbil

By John Lee. Direct international flights will be suspended to and from Erbil International Airport (pictured) starting from Friday evening, following a decision by the Iraqi cabinet and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, an airline official has told Xinhua. The move follows the region's vote for independence in Monday's referendum. Airlines including Qatar Airways, EgyptAir and […]

Initial Referendum Results - Over 90% Voted Yes

Initial results for the Kurdish independence referendum show that around 95 percent of people voted in favour of separation from Iraq and the formation of an independent Kurdistan state. According to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG), the first exit polls show that 95 percent of voters said ‘yes’ while around 5 percent said voted against. […]

Voting Starts in Kurdish Independence Referendum

Voters in Iraqi Kurdistan and the disputed areas under Kurdish control have started to cast their ballots on whether to split from the rest of Iraq and become an independent state, according to Kurdish media reports early on September 25. Reports claimed that voters had been queuing for hours before polling stations opened at 0800 […]

Kirkuk "teetering on the Brink of War"

By Fazel Hawramy for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. A few days ahead of the Kurdistan referendum on independence, an ethnic clash took place between a group of Kurds and Turkmens in Kirkuk on Sept. 19. Local police deployed in different parts […]

Video: Iraqi Kurdistan pushes ahead with Referendum

From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's Kurdistan region is pushing ahead with an independence referendum next Monday despite pressure to call it off. President Masoud Barzani remains defiant, but many Kurds are worried about the consequences of the […]

UN Security Council Concerned over Kurdish Referendum

The United Nations Security Council today expressed concern over the “potentially destabilizing impact” of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s plans to unilaterally hold a referendum next week. In a statement issued to the press, members of the Council noted that the planned referendum is scheduled to be held while operations to counter Islamic State of Iraq […]

What Int'l Media are Saying about Kurdish Independence

This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi Kurdistan is in the spotlight and the international media are reporting on the upcoming independence referendum, far and wide. But a focus on international opposition, means that important context […]

Iran, US align against Iraqi Kurdistan Referendum

By Fazel Hawramy for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Mlitary commanders and diplomats from both Iran and the United States are swarming Iraqi Kurdistan in a last-ditch attempt to convince the Kurds, an important ally in the war against the Islamic State […]