Anadolu Agency: The suspension of US aid to the Peshmerga may signal a change in relations with the regional government.
Anadolu Agency: The suspension of US aid to the Peshmerga may signal a change in relations with the regional government.
9-7-2026
The Turkish Anadolu Agency reported on Monday that, according to experts, the potential cessation of US aid to the Peshmerga forces could signal a “transitional phase” in relations between the United States and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The
report, translated by Al-Maalomah News Agency, quoted Hamza Haddad of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security as saying, “The US presence and support have not prevented attacks in Iraq, so reducing US involvement diminishes the justification for targeting the KRG.”
Experts say that “the potential cessation of US financial aid to the Peshmerga forces in the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq will raise concerns among the region’s leadership, but it could also represent another “transitional phase” in US-KRG relations, as the two sides are likely to operate within a new security framework in the future.”
He added that “reports indicate that US support, including annual financial assistance of up to $61 million for the Peshmerga forces, is expected to end on September 30. This announced date for the end of aid coincides with the expected end date of the US-led international coalition’s mission in Iraq.”
Omar Nadwi, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said that the potential end of US aid to the Peshmerga forces would likely exacerbate concerns in Erbil about Washington’s intentions as an ally. As an example, Nadwi pointed to what Iraqi Kurdish leaders perceived as developments during the 2025-2026 conflicts, where the US appeared to abandon the Syrian Kurds in favor of bolstering the post-Assad Syrian central government.
Hamza Haddad, a researcher with the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security in Washington, said he “does not believe that relations between the US and the Kurdistan Regional Government will undergo a fundamental change,” adding, “Ultimately, the Kurdish parties in Iraq need the US more than the US needs them.” He noted that “US support for the Peshmerga has never been a long-term solution” from a security standpoint. Haddad emphasized that the potential end of this support could “force the Kurdistan Regional Government to take security reform more seriously” and necessitate greater coordination with the Iraqi central government-led security forces in Baghdad.
almaalomah.me
