Iraq’s Kurdish region wants to stay out of regional conflicts: PM Barzani

What the report says

Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government, said in an interview with Al Jazeera that the Kurdish region does not want to be drawn into the wider conflict linked to the US and Israeli war on Iran. He said no side had pressured the region to join the fighting and that disputes in the area should be resolved through dialogue rather than force.

Barzani told the broadcaster that the region has suffered significant damage from repeated missile and drone strikes since the war began, saying attacks have come either from Iran or from militias operating inside Iraq. He described those strikes as unjustified and said the KRG supports efforts by Baghdad to limit weapons to state institutions only.

The interview comes as Iraq’s federal government is trying to assert greater control over armed groups, with a deadline set for factions to hand over weapons to the state. Barzani also said the Kurdish regional authorities do not have relations with Israel, while ties with Syria and Turkiye were improving. Al Jazeera added broader context that Iranian Kurdish opposition parties in Iraq have faced increased pressure since the conflict escalated, though the outlet noted that their possible role remains a sensitive and uncertain issue.