Voices from the Arab Press: Iran, the Kurds, and the future of Arab power

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from Arab media. An-Nahar of Lebanon discusses Iraqi Kurdish concerns over the US withdrawal, arguing that seeking foreign protection indicates incomplete nation-state development. It examines the 2017 Kurdish independence referendum and advocates for civic states. Asharq Al-Awsat covers Egyptian President Sisi's declaration on Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, framing it as a regional confrontation.

This week's 'Voices from the Arab Press' column features two analyses. The first, from Lebanon's An-Nahar, examines the concerns of Iraqi Kurdish leadership over the American withdrawal, arguing that the need for external guarantees reveals the incomplete development of the nation-state in the region. It reviews the history of the Kurdish autonomous region, the failed 2017 independence referendum, and the loss of Kirkuk, concluding that popular mobilization cannot overturn the balance of power. The piece advocates for modern civic states that accommodate diverse identities, citing Switzerland and Canada as examples of federalism that permit disagreement. The second analysis, from Asharq Al-Awsat, covers Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's declaration concerning Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, framing it as a significant development in a regional confrontation shaped by Iranian attempts to overturn the established order.