Monday Briefing | March 9 - Journal of Political Inquiry

Photograph by Dave Beckerman

Stories to Follow this Week

U.S.-Iran Nuclear Negotiations

As negotiations over a nuclear deal with Iran continue, the U.S. seeks to reassure its allies in the region. Gulf states and Israel have expressed their concerns about the increasing Iranian influence in the region and fear that a potential nuclear agreement would grant Iran greater influence. U.S Secretary of State John Kerry said in Riyadh last week that the U.S. would continue to monitor Iran’s “destabilizing actions” in the region.

Read more: BBC, The New York Times, The Economist

Confronting ISIS

Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed militias continue their offensive against ISIS and recapture a key town in al-Anbar province. The move marks the beginning of a larger military campaign led by the Iraqi government to recapture the city of Tikrit. Air strikes by the U.S-led coalition facilitated the Iraqi forces’ ground attack. Meanwhile, ISIS continues its destruction of historical sites in Iraq. Iraqi officials said ISIS militants have demolished the ancient city of Hatra. This development comes as Nigeria’s Boko Haram announced its allegiance to ISIS in an audio recording published on Twitter.

Read more: Reuters, The New York Times, BBC

Signs of Revived Peace Talks Between Kurds & Turkey?

The jailed leader of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, has called for a historic peace deal with the Turkish government. Ocalan who serves a life term in prison, urged PKK’s fighters to lay down their arms and support the peace process. The Kurdish party has been fighting for self-rule within Turkey since 1984. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cautiously welcomed Ocalan’s call. This may move forward the stalled peace process and end a conflict that claimed more than 40,000 lives.