Mark Savaya: I Received My Orders from Trump Regarding Iraq
ARK News.. The U.S. President’s envoy to Iraq stated that he received his assignment orders directly from the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces, Donald Trump.
Mark Savaya, the U.S. President’s envoy to Iraq, wrote in a post on the platform X that he had received those orders concerning Iraq during his meeting with President Donald Trump on the occasion of Thanksgiving.
Trump’s envoy to Iraq did not disclose any details regarding the nature of those orders.
In October, U.S. President Donald Trump appointed Mark Savaya as his special envoy to Iraq.
Savaya is the third American envoy to Iraq, following Paul Bremer in 2003, and Brett McGurk during the war against ISIS in 2014.
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Trump Announces Permanent Suspension of Immigration from All Third World Countries
ARK News.. U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a permanent suspension of immigration “from all Third World countries,” stressing that the decision will remain in place “until the American system fully recovers.”
In a statement shared on social media on Friday, November 28, 2025, Trump said: “I will permanently halt immigration from all Third World countries to allow the American system to fully recover.”
Trump also threatened to revoke “millions” of immigration applications approved under his predecessor Joe Biden, and vowed to “deport anyone who does not add value to the United States.”
He added that his administration will end all federal benefits and assistance for non-citizens.
Trump's remarks came one day after an Afghan national opened fire on two National Guard soldiers in Washington
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Kurdistan Region’s Interior Ministry Issues Statement on Attacks Targeting Oil Fields and Key Facilities
ARK News.. The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Interior confirmed that the joint investigative committee—formed by a decision of the Iraqi Prime Minister—has concluded that the flight paths of the drones used in recent attacks originated from areas under the control of federal forces. The ministry noted that the committee’s report was submitted to the Prime Minister more than two months ago without any subsequent action. It stressed that the continued attacks, the most recent being the strike on the Khor Mor gas field, stem from the absence of deterrent measures. The statement called on Baghdad to take immediate steps in accordance with the constitution and the law, affirming that the Region reserves its right to protect its security and economic interests.
Full statement:
“Oil fields, installations, and several vital facilities in the Kurdistan Region were subjected to repeated drone attacks between 15 June 2025 and 25 July 2025, resulting in significant material and economic damage. To investigate these dangerous attacks, determine the perpetrators, and refer those responsible to the judiciary, the Iraqi Prime Minister issued a decision to form a joint committee chaired by the National Security Advisor and composed of federal security, intelligence, and military agencies, as well as representatives from the Kurdistan Region.
The joint committee began its duties, visiting the Kurdistan Region on 28 July 2025, where it held a series of field meetings and conducted technical inspections of the targeted sites. Based on the technical analysis of the drone debris used in the attacks, it was determined that the flight paths originated from areas under the control of federal forces near the lines of contact with the Region.
Security and intelligence agencies in the Region also presented judicially documented confessions of individuals who disclosed their organizational affiliations.
Upon completing the investigations, the higher investigative committee established by the Iraqi Prime Minister convened at the National Security Advisory headquarters, drafted its final report, and submitted it to the Prime Minister for legal action against the involved parties.
Despite more than two months having passed since the report was submitted, the federal government has taken no judicial or security measures against the perpetrators.
We would like to clarify to the public opinion that the final report—currently in the possession of the Prime Minister—explicitly identifies the entities responsible for these terrorist operations, which caused economic damage to the energy infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region through the use of drones. The report included several recommendations, the most important of which was for the National Security Council of Ministers to convene to discuss the findings and take the necessary legal measures against the responsible party. However, none of these recommendations has been implemented.
Accordingly, the Kurdistan Regional Government calls on the federal government to fulfill its constitutional, legal, and security obligations and to take immediate and deterrent measures against the perpetrators and those behind them, to prevent the recurrence of such hostile acts that threaten national security and the economic interests of both the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a whole.
The Kurdistan Region affirms that continued inaction toward the parties involved constitutes a breach of constitutional and security responsibilities, and that this negligence effectively encourages these groups to persist in their operations. The attack that occurred yesterday on the Khor Mor gas field is a direct result of the lack of deterrent action against those responsible for the previous attacks. The Region reserves its right to take all necessary measures to protect its security and economic interests, in accordance with the constitution and the law.”
Kurdistan Regional Government
Ministry of Interior
27 November 2025
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Masrour Barzani Condemns Kormor Gas Field Attack, Urges International Support for Defensive Systems
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani condemned the drone strike on the Kormor gas field, calling it a “cowardly” act, and urged Baghdad and international partners to take stronger security measures.
In a statement on Thursday, Barzani pressed the federal government to identify and prosecute those responsible, warning against allowing “terrorists or the groups behind them” to evade accountability, as he said had happened in previous cases. He also appealed to the United States and other international partners to supply defensive systems to protect critical civilian infrastructure in the region.
The Kormor field in Chamchamal, Sulaymaniyah, was hit by a drone late Wednesday, forcing the shutdown of gas flows to power stations. The Kurdistan Region’s Natural Resources and Electricity ministries said they were working with operator Dana Gas to assess damage and resume operations.
Iraq’s Joint Operations Command said the strike ignited one of the site’s main storage tanks but caused no casualties, describing the incident as a “serious terrorist act.”
Kormor is Iraq’s largest gas field, with reserves of about 8.2 trillion cubic feet. It produces more than 450 million cubic feet of gas and 22,000 barrels of oil per day, generating roughly 4,200 MW of power—most of which supplies the Kurdistan Region, with additional output sent to Kirkuk and Mosul.
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Nechirvan Barzani Condemns Kormor Gas Field Attack as “Direct Threat to Iraq’s Stability”
ARK News.. Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani strongly condemned the drone attack on the Kormor gas field, describing it as a direct assault on Iraq’s economic infrastructure and a serious threat to national stability.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Barzani urged the Iraqi federal government and relevant security agencies to take swift and effective measures to hold the perpetrators accountable and prevent future attacks.
The drone strike, which targeted the Kormor field in Chamchamal on Wednesday night, halted gas supplies to power generation plants across the region.
The Kurdistan Region’s Ministries of Natural Resources and Electricity said they are coordinating with Dana Gas to investigate the incident and restore operations.
Iraq’s Joint Operations Command confirmed that the attack caused a major storage tank to catch fire, though no casualties were reported, calling the incident a “dangerous act of terrorism.”
Kormor is Iraq’s largest natural gas field, with reserves estimated at 8.2 trillion cubic feet. It supplies electricity to both the Kurdistan Region and the provinces of Kirkuk and Mosul.
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Pro-Decentralization Protests Erupt in Syria’s Coastal Region
ARK News.. Several areas across Syria’s coastal region witnessed demonstrations calling for decentralization and the release of detainees held over the past months. Counter-protests in support of the Syrian government later followed, amid reports of attacks by unidentified individuals on civilian property.
According to Syria TV, protests and sit-ins took place on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, in the provinces of Tartous and Latakia, demanding decentralization and the release of detainees affiliated with the deposed regime — including officers and members who had taken part in the so-called “al-Filoul Movement.”
A demonstration was held at the Agriculture Roundabout in Latakia and another at the al-Azhari Roundabout, under heavy security measures. Protesters reportedly arrived from rural Tartous and from inside the city, gathering near the Sadat buildings. Numbers were large in the morning before gradually declining later in the day.
Latakia and Tartous also saw a significant security deployment, with internal security forces fully encircling protest sites.
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UAE Praises Kurdistan Region’s Urban Development and Progress
ARK News.. Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani received the newly appointed Consul General of the United Arab Emirates to the Region, Ahmed Hassan al-Shehhi, on Tuesday, November 25, 2025.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Prime Minister congratulated the Emirati Consul General on assuming his new post, highlighting the strong and distinguished ties between the Kurdistan Region and the UAE. He also expressed the Kurdistan Regional Government’s readiness to provide all forms of support and facilitation to ensure the success of the consul’s diplomatic mission.
For his part, the Emirati Consul General expressed his pleasure at starting his duties in the Region, conveying to the Prime Minister the greetings of UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
He also praised the Kurdistan Region’s ongoing urban renaissance and progress, commending the reforms led by the Kurdistan Regional Government across various sectors.
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Mohammed Ismail: The Roj Peshmerga Are Sons of Syria, and They Will Eventually Return to It
ARK News.. The Secretary of the Kurdistan Democratic Party–Syria (KDP-S) and President of the Kurdish National Council in Syria (KNC) affirmed that Syrian Kurds care deeply about their national issues, stressing that the Kurdish National Council has a Kurdish national project and will not entrust its cause to anyone.
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Modon conducted an extensive interview with Mohammed Ismail, Secretary of the Kurdistan Democratic Party–Syria, discussing relations with the PYD administration, the Syrian government, and Turkey, as well as issues related to displaced Kurds, their towns and villages, and the educational situation.
Regarding the PYD administration and the nature of relations with it, Ismail said: "In our meetings with the Democratic Union Party (PYD), General Mazloum Abdi acted as the guarantor. We used to discuss matters with him, and he would convey our viewpoint to them. An agreement was reached on a document that outlined the Kurdish vision for the future of Syria and the demands of the Kurdish people. However, unresolved issues remained, which we described as ‘contentious issues’."
The KNC president added: "In the political and administrative fields, we agreed on six out of eight points, while five contentious issues remained. One of these issues was compulsory military service; another concerned education; a third was related to the social contract; the fourth involved separating the PYD from the PKK; and the final and most crucial issue was determining the fate of our detainees."
Ismail explained: "At the time, we agreed that unless these points were resolved, we would not sign any agreement. After the regime fell, we focused on the joint vision and a joint delegation. But the truth is that these points are sensitive and contentious between us and the PYD, and we did not reach an agreement because they do not want one."
Regarding the PYD-administered curriculum and lack of governmental or international recognition, Ismail said: "Kurds live in difficult circumstances concerning the future of their children. The PYD administration, which follows a one-party policy, is trying to use the educational process as a bargaining chip with the central government in Damascus. We held meetings on this matter, particularly since many families migrated from PYD areas to Aleppo and Damascus to secure education for their children."
He continued: "One of our proposals was to allow students to continue their education until an agreement is reached or until a UN curriculum is adopted. But what happened was that students were used as leverage to obtain recognition of university certificates. We are not satisfied with this because it is not in the interest of our people, nor in Syria’s interest as a whole."
"For example, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is autonomous, yet there are Arabic-language curricula and UN curricula, and people are free to choose. We support keeping education away from political disputes."
Asked whether the “Roj Peshmerga” could return and be incorporated into a national Syrian framework such as the Syrian Ministry of Defense, Ismail replied: "We have discussed the Roj Peshmerga and pointed out that the same international coalition that trained the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) also trained the Roj Peshmerga and allocated a budget for them. In my view, the Roj Peshmerga — forces trained and organized in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, who fought ISIS in Iraq, trained and funded by the international coalition, and numbering more than 7,000 according to some estimates — are Syrian Kurdish officers and soldiers who defected from the former regime’s army. They are sons of Syria, and they will eventually return to it."
Ismail said: "We are Syrians and care about our country’s interests, but we focus on our people because of the injustices they suffered. Perhaps we were preoccupied and didn’t issue many statements about other Syrian regions and their hardships, just as others overlooked what we suffered. But we affirm that we are Syrians just as we are Kurdish nationalists, and we will not constitute a threat to neighboring countries."
He stressed that the KNC has its own Kurdish national project: "We will not hand our cause over to anyone, and we will not work under anyone. We engage with everyone, but we are responsible for our own cause. We will achieve the aspirations of our people, who made great sacrifices."
Commenting on the performance of the new Syrian government and relations with it, Ismail stated: "At the beginning, we heard statements that inspired optimism, and we reacted positively. But now they procrastinate due to technical issues, and Kurdish rights have not yet been discussed. This creates concern among Kurdish people. But we will not remain idle — we have options, and we have an ancient people who were not crushed by the former regime’s practices. We were the only opposition inside Syria alongside our people, a model of Syrian opposition that challenged the former regime. Therefore, our people will not go backward, and the Kurdish cause will not be erased — Kurds have become a reality in Syria."
He added: "We are not opposition today; our hands are extended for dialogue and negotiation, and our demands are clear. Some of our people affiliated with the SDF are opposition, but we disagree with them regarding their dealings with the Druze in Sweida, the Alawites on the coast, and other matters. We support dialogue and negotiation and have not declared ourselves an opposition. If we were to become opposition, we would work for the Kurdish cause — not for the Druze, with all respect for them and their sacrifices."
Ismail said: "We conveyed our people’s voice within the opposition and explained our cause to the international community, to states influencing the Syrian situation, and to research centers concerned with political matters. Four administrations governed the Kurds: the former Syrian regime, the Salvation Government, the Interim Government, and the PYD administration. The current government is acceptable compared to the others, which practiced corruption. Overall, the current government’s experience is better than previous administrations."
Ismail noted: "The situation in Afrin is better now, with noticeable improvement and displaced families returning to their villages. But the situation is different in Sari Kani and Gire Spi. For example, in Sari Kani, out of 60,000 original residents, only about 40 Kurds remain. People have taken over displaced families’ homes and shops. Their return is tied to political tensions and bargaining, because of ongoing disputes between Turkey and the SDF."
He added: "We as Kurds welcome the unification of our stance and remain open to negotiations. We expressed our dissatisfaction with tensions. We trust that negotiations will lead to a solution, but Turkey has taken no steps in that direction. The peace process between Turkey and Abdullah Ocalan is progressing slowly. If there had been progress, it would have positively impacted the situation of the Syrian Kurd. Ultimately, the issue is international and will be resolved — but slowly — and this will undoubtedly reflect on the Kurdish people in Syria."
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KNC Leadership Delegation Visits Kurdistan Region Representation
ARK News.. A delegation from the presidency of the Kurdish National Council (KNC) in Syria, headed by Council President Mohammed Ismail, visited the KNC Representation in the Kurdistan Region.
The meeting focused on key political developments on the Syrian scene in general and Kurdish affairs in particular.
Discussions also covered the KNC leadership’s recent meetings with President Masoud Barzani and Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, held on the sidelines of the Middle East Peace and Security Forum (MEPS 2025) in Duhok.
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Kurdistan Education Ministry Encourages Teachers and Students to Vote for Zakho Club Fans
ARK News.. The Ministry of Education in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Sunday, November 23, 2025, called on teaching staff and students to vote for the supporters of Zakho Club in their bid for the FIFA Best Fans award.
In an official statement, the ministry said: “To support Zakho as a Kurdistan club, whose fans have been nominated by FIFA for the 2025 Best Fans award, we kindly invite teachers and students to cast their votes.”
FIFA nominated Zakho Club fans for the award in recognition of their support for sick children, particularly those with cancer, during a match in May between Zakho and Al-Hudood in the Premier League, when they threw toys and dolls onto the pitch.
Zakho’s fans face competition from two other nominees: Alejandro Ciganotto, president of the Racing Club supporters’ association in Argentina, and Spanish fan Manuel Caseres, known as “the drummer.
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