Regional Perspectives | Nechirvan Barzani and the New Kurdish Diplomacy

The Center for the National Interest is pleased to share its first paper in a new series, Regional Perspectives. The series will aim to provide a venue for guest authors to present their views of what the world looks like from outside America’s borders.

In the paper, “Nechirvan Barzani and the New Kurdish Diplomacy,” Dr. Soran Tarkhani examines the changing dynamics of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Dr. Tarkhani asserts that the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is transforming Kurdish diplomacy into truly modern statecraft. Nevertheless, Tarkhani argues, the KRG leader faces an uphill battle within Kurdistan.

As an Iraqi Kurd and the author of a recent book on politics in his homeland, Dr. Tarkhani is well-positioned to express the hopes and concerns that many observers in the region have for the KRG’s future. In his view, the diplomatic window of opportunity that Nechirvan Barzani is opening can yield tangible gains for the KRG and the Kurdish people. However, he notes, that window will close if the Iraqi Kurdish political parties cannot reach an accommodation with each other and find a way to support institutional growth in Erbil.

About the Author:

Soran Tarkhani is an Assistant Professor at Hampton University and author of the new book, Divided Loyalties, Electoral Rules, and Intra-Party Competition: Kurdish Politics in Iraq (Routledge, 2026).

CFTNI Senior Fellow Joshua Yaphe served as editor of this initial Regional Perspectives paper.