Yerevan Saeed

Non-Resident Fellow, AGSIW; Mustafa Barzani Scholar In Residence and Director, Global Kurdish Initiative, American University

Yerevan Saeed is a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and the Mustafa Barzani Scholar of Global Kurdish Studies at American University’s School of International Service. He is a TEDx speaker and former lecturer at the University of Kurdistan Hewler. Saeed previously was a visiting scholar and research associate at AGSIW. Saeed is a political analyst who researches and writes on security, political, and energy issues in the Middle East, focusing on Iraq, Turkey, Iran, the Gulf, and the Levant. He has served as White House correspondent for the Kurdish Rudaw TV, and his work has been published in the Washington Institute’s Fikra Forum, the Diplomatic Courier, The New York Times, the London-based Majalla magazine, Rudaw, Global Politician, and several Kurdish newspapers. In addition, he has been interviewed by Voice of America, NPR, CNN, Voice of Russia, and Kurdish television programs and newspapers. From 2009-13, Saeed worked with Stratfor; additionally, he worked for several media outlets, including The New York Times, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, BBC, and The Guardian, as a journalist and translator in Iraq from 2003-07.

Saeed holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree from Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, with a focus on Middle East studies and international negotiation and conflict resolution. He received his PhD from the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. He speaks Kurdish and Arabic and has a command of Farsi.

Blog Post content-type in which the post is published

Iraqi Provincial Elections Could Come With Major Political and Security Ramifications

The victory of pro-Iranian groups in Iraq’s provincial elections could exacerbate internal political tensions and raise concerns about regional stability.

Blog Post content-type in which the post is published

Iraq’s Supreme Court Removes Parliamentary Speaker

Mohammed al-Halbousi's ousting as speaker of parliament opens the door for Sunni adversaries to rise to power and could help consolidate the influence of Shia political movements in Iraq.

Blog Post content-type in which the post is published

Baghdad Squeezes Kurdistan Region on Legal and Economic Fronts, Prompting Crisis

Six years after its independence referendum, the Kurdistan region of Iraq confronts grave political, economic, and security challenges.

Blog Post content-type in which the post is published

Budding Kurdish-UAE Relations

The relationship between the Kurdistan region of Iraq and the United Arab Emirates is shaped by political, economic, and security factors, but intra-Kurdish divisions threaten to undermine this strategic partnership.

Blog Post content-type in which the post is published

Trilateral Agreement Necessary to Resolve Turkey-Iraq Oil Dispute

The resumption of Kurdish oil exports hinges on achieving consensus between Baghdad and Ankara, but a lasting solution can only be cemented through a trilateral agreement that includes Erbil.

Blog Post content-type in which the post is published

Iraq and Egypt Boost Diplomacy, but GCC Remains the Linchpin

Increasing diplomatic engagements between Iraq and Egypt are helping to advance a more ambitious regional project with Jordan, but Gulf economic and statecraft dominance will shape the initiative’s objectives and ambitions.

Blog Post content-type in which the post is published

Saudi Arabia Makes Soft Power Comeback in Iraq

Saudi Arabia's soft power initiatives may help the kingdom advance its economic interests in Iraq and help strengthen Iraq’s ties with a key Gulf Arab neighbor.

Blog Post content-type in which the post is published

Iraq Deepens Ties With GCC Neighbors

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani’s predecessors laid the groundwork for strong economic ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and he now appears poised to take relations to the next level.

Blog Post content-type in which the post is published

A New Opportunity for the Basra-Aqaba Pipeline?

While the Basra-Aqaba pipeline project promises economic, energy, and security benefits for Iraq and Jordan, high costs and political and security risks pose huge feasibility challenges.

Blog Post content-type in which the post is published

With a President in Place, Can Iraq Finally Form a Government?

Iraq finally has a president, and the political parties understand that at this juncture, they don’t have the luxury of time for negotiations over government formation.