Masrour Barzani: Kurdistan has been subjected to more than a thousand attacks and we support the monopoly of weapons.
Masrour Barzani: Kurdistan has been subjected to more than a thousand attacks and we support the monopoly of weapons.
2026-08-08
Shafaq News – Erbil
On Saturday, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Masrour Barzani, affirmed his government’s support for the Iraqi government in its campaign to restrict weapons to the state.
Barzani said in an interview with Al Jazeera, which was monitored by Shafaq News Agency, that “the Kurdistan Region has been subjected to more than a thousand attacks with missiles and drones.”
He pointed out that the attacks on the region came directly from Iran or from within Iraq through some militias, explaining that “there have been no American soldiers at Harir Air Base for ten years.”
Barzani continued, saying: “No party has pressured us to get involved in the war, and we do not want to be a party to any conflict in the region,” explaining that “all we want is to protect the Kurdistan Region and keep it away from any conflict.”
Regarding the rumors about the relationship with Israel, Barzani clarified: “We do not have relations with Israel, and foreign policy is the responsibility of the federal government.”
Regarding relations with neighboring countries, Barzani affirmed: “We have a good and developing relationship with Damascus, and our relations with Türkiye are very good and witnessing cooperation.”
It is noted that the Iraqi government has given armed factions until September 30 to hand over their weapons to the state, warning that any armed activity after the government deadline will be dealt with according to the applicable laws, including the anti-terrorism law.
While the Kurdistan region has been subjected to numerous missile and drone attacks since the start of the US-Iran war, Iran and some Iraqi armed factions have claimed responsibility for these attacks, claiming to be targeting what they describe as US interests in Kurdistan and Iranian opposition headquarters.
shafaq.com
