Amwaj.media

Will local solutions reverse pollution in Iraqi Kurdistan’s agriculture? A silent threat is lurking within the bustling vegetable markets of Iraqi Kurdistan. Public health specialists, including the World Health Organization (WHO), are sounding the alarm that the semi-auto...

🇮🇶 Contaminated produce in Iraqi #Kurdistan is raising health alarms. Experts blame pesticides, pollution & poor oversight.

Can safety efforts keep up?

@hannahlynch.bsky.social for @amwajmedia.bsky.social
amwaj.media/en/article/w...

Deep Dive: Did Israel try to wipe out Iran’s leadership? The story: Iranian media report that Israel tried and failed to eliminate the heads of Iran’s three branches of power during the recent war. This has raised further questions about the level of Israel...

NEW: Iranian media say #Israel tried and failed to eliminate the heads of Iran’s three branches of power in the recent war.

This has raised new questions about the level of Israeli penetration of #Iran's security apparatus.

amwaj.media/en/media-mon... @amwajmedia.bsky.social

Exclusive: Iran given advance notice as US insisted attack on nuclear sites is ‘one-off’ The story: US President Donald Trump says three key nuclear facilities in Iran have been “obliterated,” while threatening more strikes “if peace does not come quickly.” This comes as Amwaj.media has l...

Exclusive: #Iran given advance notice as US insisted attack on nuclear sites is ‘one-off’

"Reports indicate at least three B-2 bombers flying from the US dropped six 13.6 ton (30,000 lbs) Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs on #Fordow..."

amwaj.media/en/media-mon... @amwajmedia.bsky.social

How does the Kremlin view Iran-US diplomacy? The nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, which have taken place in Muscat and Rome under Omani auspices, are “reassuring” to Russia, which has high stakes in the outcome and seeks to cons...

My latest @amwajmedia.bsky.social article is about #Russia's perspective on American-Iranian nuclear talks. This piece quotes Ghoncheh Tazmini, Mark Katz, and Samuel Ramani.

amwaj.media/en/article/h...

Khamenei signals flexibility as Iran intensifies US investment pitch The story: Iran's supreme leader has moved to placate both critics and supporters of diplomacy with the United States. In doing so, he is notably echoing discourse of “heroic flexibility” which he dep...

A good piece by @amwajmedia.bsky.social on how #Iran's Supreme Leader signals flexibility amid Iran-US nuclear talks. During an address on April 24, Khamenei referred to temporary concessions in Islamic history as serving longer-term goals. amwaj.media/en/media-mon...

NEW from me for @amwajmedia.bsky.social: The Kurdistan Region’s local football clubs are on the rise with new stadiums & success on bigger stages. Politicians are getting in on the game, using sport to boost their image & influence.
amwaj.media/en/article/h...

Kata’ib Hezbollah pours cold water on talk of ‘disarmament’ under US pressure The story: Kata'ib Hezbollah has categorically denied claims that it, alongside other major Iraqi Shiite armed groups, is prepared to disarm. This follows a report by the Reuters news agency alleging ...

"Kata'ib Hezbollah’s denial that it is ready to lay down arms suggests any immediate disarmament of Shiite armed groups is unlikely.

It also signals that such actors are positioning for continued “resistance” against US presence in #Iraq"

amwaj.media/en/media-mon...
@amwajmedia.bsky.social

Scoop: Qatari visit in DC delays Iran-US expert talks The story: Logistical bottlenecks have postponed expert-level talks between Iran and the US due to take place in Oman, Amwaj.media has learned. A senior delegation led by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minist...

NEW: Logistical bottlenecks delay #Iran-US expert-level talks in #Oman.

Originally set for Apr. 23, the meeting will now be held Apr. 26 in parallel with political talks between Iran FM #Araghchi & US envoy #Witkoff

@amwajmedia.bsky.social has the details ⬇️

amwaj.media/en/media-mon...

Rare Saudi visit to Tehran ahead of Iran-US talks underscores regional complexities The story: Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman (KbS) has become the highest-ranking Saudi official to visit Iran since Riyadh and Tehran restored relations in 2023. He is also the first senior Saudi of...

#SaudiArabia's DM @kbsalsaud has become the highest-ranking Saudi official to visit #Iran since ties were restored in 2023—& the 1st to meet #Khamenei in nearly 19 years.

@amwajmedia.bsky.social has the details 👇

amwaj.media/en/media-mon... 🇮🇷🇸🇦

Inside story: Iraqi PM meets Syrian president in groundbreaking encounter in Doha A carefully orchestrated diplomatic encounter in Doha has brought together Syria’s President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia’ Al-Sudani, their first meeting since the fall of th...

NEW: In a landmark meeting in Doha, #Syria’s President #Sharaa & #Iraq’s PM #Sudani have met for the 1st time since Assad’s fall.

Hosted by #Qatar’s emir, the talks mark a key moment in post-Assad regional landscape.

@amwajmedia.bsky.social has the inside story ⬇️

amwaj.media/en/article/i...

Iraq faces crisis as plunging oil prices highlight bloated public sector The story: Iraq is grappling with a looming financial crisis as global oil prices hover around 60 USD per barrel, driven by US President Donald Trump’s ongoing tariff campaign. With approximately 90% ...

#Iraq faces a looming financial crisis as oil prices hover near $60/barrel amid #Trump’s tariff campaign.

With 90% of state revenue from oil, Baghdad may struggle to fund its hefty public sector salary & pension obligations.

amwaj.media/en/media-mon...
@amwajmedia.bsky.social

"US sanctions have suffocated #Iran’s economy but failed to curb its nuclear program.

As enrichment rises, western fears grow—but Tehran insists it doesn’t seek nukes and is ready to offer assurances."

Read more: amwaj.media/en/media-mon... @amwajmedia.bsky.social

Exclusive: Prospect of Hezbollah-Iraq-Israel prisoner swap opens door to engagement Almost two years after her abduction by armed allies of Iran in Iraq, there are indications of light at the end of the tunnel for Princeton University researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov. Strictly speaking o...

Scoop from @amwajmedia.bsky.social: In wake of Gaza ceasefire and Iran-Italy prisoner swap, emerging proposal to free Princeton researcher Liz Tsurkov could involve Israel & Iran's allies in Iraq/Lebanon.

amwaj.media/article/excl...

Why the UAE approaches the new Syria with caution The new Syrian administration’s Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, and intelligence chief Anas Khattab last week paid their first official visit to the United Arab ...

My latest @amwajmedia.bsky.social article analyzes the #UAE's cautious approach to post-Assad #Syria. Featuring quotes from Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, Courtney Freer, Neil Quilliam, and Hamdullah Baycar. amwaj.media/article/why-...

How reporting on violence against women in Iraqi Kurdistan is getting tougher Just as people began gathering in Erbil’s Dream City for their final Ramadhan meal one evening in early April, a man shot and killed his estranged wife on a busy road outside the upscale development. ...

One of my more important pieces this year. Writing for @amwajmedia.bsky.social , I explored a decision by the KRG to make it more difficult for journalists and researchers to get the facts about violence against women in the Kurdistan Region. A loss for transparency.
amwaj.media/article/how-...

Why Bahrain is considering future in BRICS+ The foreign policy of Bahrain frequently follows in the footsteps of Abu Dhabi’s leadership. As the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the first Gulf Arab state to accede to the BRICS+ group of cou...

Why #Bahrain is considering future in #BRICS+

My latest @amwajmedia.bsky.social piece, featuring comments from @ryanbohl.bsky.social, Ali Bakir, Abdulla Aljunaid, and Narayanappa Janardhan. amwaj.media/article/cons...

Some Iranians pitch Taliban-style engagement as Khamenei addresses Syria crisis The story: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the United States, Israel and a “neighboring state” of having plotted the overthrow of former Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad. This...

NEW: Khamenei accuses US, Israel and Turkey of orchestrating Assad's overthrow.

Dismissing claims of a weakened ‘Axis of Resistance,’ he asserts the Iran-led alliance will only grow stronger.

amwaj.media/media-monito... @amwajmedia.bsky.social

Deep Dive: Syria’s foreign debt to Iran In the midst of the dramatic events in Syria, one of the debates that have emerged in Tehran pertains to whether post-Assad Syria will ever repay the debt to Iran that has accumulated over the past 14...

Bijan Khajehpour for @amwajmedia.bsky.social on Syria's accumulated debt to Iran, and the debate in Iran over just how much money the country sunk into supporting Assad: amwaj.media/article/deep...

Inside story: Hezbollah, Iran and the downfall of Assad The sudden downfall of Bashar Al-Assad has raised a number of questions about the thinking and roles of his supporters. First and foremost, Russia—the most powerful foreign ally of the Syrian governme...

Our latest piece, co-authored by Mohammed Shabani and me, explores Hezbollah, Iran, and the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime.

amwaj.media/article/insi...

Inside story: Hezbollah, Iran and the downfall of Assad The sudden downfall of Bashar Al-Assad has raised a number of questions about the thinking and roles of his supporters. First and foremost, Russia—the most powerful foreign ally of the Syrian governme...

a must read piece on the dynamics between Hezbollah, Iran, Russia and Assad's final days: amwaj.media/article/insi...

Iraq’s fractured elites view Syria with consternation as HTS takes charge The story: In the wake of former Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad’s downfall, Iraqi Shiite political elites are now coming to terms with a radical shift in the region’s balance of power. The divergent po...

"Iraqi Shiite political elites grapple with Assad’s downfall & its impact on regional power dynamics.

Divisions in SCF deepen over Iraq’s stance on Syria’s new Sunni Islamist leaders & Baghdad’s ties with a strained Tehran"

amwaj.media/media-monito... @amwajmedia.bsky.social