On 11 October 2026, the KAS Jordan Office and the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) held the second annual meeting of the Levant and Iraq Forum (LIF) in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Launched in 2024, the LIF brings together think tanks from Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories and Jordan to develop and advocate for a cross-border policy agenda. The past year showed how closely the countries in the Levant and Iraq are bound together, against the backdrop of the war with Iran, renewed escalation in Lebanon, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and Syria's unfinished transition.
As part of the morning sessions reserved for members, participants discussed how the past year had shaped their countries and their institutions' work, and which of the 2025 recommendations had been taken forward. The second session turned to the Forum's future, including joint research, publications, events, and other ways to widen the network.
The afternoon program was opened to invited guests. The first panel titled 'Who Speaks for the State?' considered what Syria and Lebanon can learn from Iraq's efforts to bring armed groups under state authority. Speakers addressed Iraq's 30 September deadline, the integration of the SDF, the debate over Hezbollah's arms and the costs for Jordan. The second panel, 'Beyond Traditional Donors', asked how recovery can be financed as international aid declines, with speakers addressing Syria, northern Iraq and Jordan's potential role in regional recovery.
Following the meeting, LIF members took part in the MERI Forum held on 12 – 13 October 2026 in Erbil. The Forum is MERI's flagship annual conference which brings together senior policymakers as well as officials and experts from Iraqi Kurdistan, the wider region and beyond. Over two days, members carried the questions raised at the LIF meeting into a wider debate with Kurdish, Iraqi and international participants.
