United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken is going to have “some very difficult conversations” in Ankara over the Syrian National Army (SNA) attacks on the areas under the control of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria (Rojava), a former US State Department official told Rudaw on Wednesday.

The United States on Monday called on the parties engaged in the ongoing conflict in Syria to do “everything possible” to protect civilians, while stressing that its position on President Bashar al-Assad’s regime remains unchanged.

Despite their stark differences on the Gaza conflict - Democratic Party nominee Kamala Harris backing a ceasefire while Republican nominee Donald Trump has pushed for swift a Israeli victory - experts say neither candidate is likely to fundamentally alter America's steadfast support for Israel. Yet both are heavily courting Muslim and Arab voters in crucial swing states like Michigan, where this constituency could prove decisive in the US elections on Tuesday.

With less than 48 hours until the US election to determine whether front-runner Democratic Party nominee Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump will sit in the White House for the next four years, how could the vote impact global conflicts, including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East?

The US government encouraged political parties in the Kurdistan Region to have dialogue following the announcement of election results on Monday, stressing there is more that unites than divides them.

Martyn Warr, director of the communication cell of the global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS), discussed the prospects of ending the coalition's military mission in Iraq, describing the move as “a transition.”

The US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) held a ministerial-level meeting Monday to review developments, priorities, and discuss how the members of the coalition cooperate together to fight the group’s continued threat.

Regarding the Iraq-Turkey pipeline (ITP), the ambassador said the status quo is unsustainable and Washington is actively supporting all sides

The United Nations team investigating crimes committed by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq is preparing to share with Iraqi authorities the 40 terabytes of evidence compiled in its six-year investigation as it wraps up its mission next month.

The United States is warning Iran and its affiliated militia groups in Iraq against attacking US forces in the country, saying Washington “will not hesitate” to protect itself.

The Iraqi and Kurdistan Region governments have further work to do to combat trafficking in the country, the US State Department has said in light of Baghdad being upgraded from a Tier 3 Watch List to a Tier 2 country in the annual US Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.

The United States remains “concerned” that some members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) “are not responsive” to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani's command and “engage in violent and destabilizing” activities in the region, urging Baghdad to rein the Iran-backed groups, a State Department spokesperson said on Thursday.

The United States has urged Baghdad to consult with Yazidis directly as part of full implementation of the Shingal agreement in order to find a durable solution for families who have been displaced from their homes for almost a decade, a US State Department spokesperson told Rudaw.

The US position on the situation in northeast Syria (Rojava) "has not changed," a US State Department spokesperson told Rudaw, adding that the US calls on Turkey and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to de-escalate violence and enhance stability in Syria.

#SUMMARY#