Iranian-backed militias escalate in Iraq, targeting Kurdistan Region president Nechirvan Barzani

The attack has been condemned by France and Iraq, but Iran has distanced itself from the incident.

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, which have targeted the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq more than 400 times, escalated their attacks on Saturday, targeting the regional president Nechirvan Barzani’s house.

The attack has been condemned by France and also by Baghdad, and Iran has also distanced itself from the incident. It comes days after Iran launched missiles at Kurdish Peshmerga in Iraq, killing six Kurds. The Peshmerga are the armed forces of the Kurdistan autonomous region.

The President of the Kurdistan Region is Nechirvan Barzani, known for being a pragmatic politician who invests in the prosperity of the region and seeks to avoid conflict. He is related to former Kurdistan president Masoud Barzani, who is now head of the Kurdish KDP party. In addition, he is related to the region’s prime minister, Masrour Barzani.

Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurdish politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq and a former foreign minister, wrote on X that “the armed Iraqi militia controlled and directed by IRGC working on ground with them, have their own bank of targets irrespective of the Iraqi Gov and the command & Control of the PMF to attack & create as much chaos to drag Iraq into this destructive war. This has to stop now.”

The PMF is the Popular Mobilization Forces, which is a paramilitary group in Iraq. Many of the Iranian-backed militias are part of the PMF, meaning that they receive state funding and backing.

Macron condemns attacks in Kurdistan Region

The militias have carried out more than 500 attacks in Baghdad, targeting the US Embassy, the Kurdistan Region and other targets. The US has recently sought to coordinate with Iraq to stop the attacks. US A-10 warplanes have also targeted the militias.

Masrour Barzani condemned and denounced in the strongest terms the cowardly drone attack on the residence of the President Nechirvan Barzani in Duhok. “Once again, we call on the federal government to act on its responsibility, bring these outlaw criminals to justice, and curb the continued terrorist attacks carried out by these groups. I also call on the international community and our friends to support the Kurdistan Region in protecting its citizens and safeguarding the interests of the Kurdistan Region. We reserve every right to confront these terrorists, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to protect the Kurdistan Region,” he said.

In France, President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned the drone attack “that was carried out today on President Nechirvan Barzani’s house in Duhok, and also reiterated his country’s continued support for the Kurdistan Region and Iraq,” read a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency. Macron has been a close friend of the Kurds and the Kurdistan Region.

Iraqi politicians have also condemned the attack. Rudaw media in Erbil noted that the Iraqi Sunni Azm Alliance said it “considers this a serious transgression that threatens the country’s security and stability and undermines efforts to de-escalate tensions and maintain internal peace.” Khamis al-Khanjar, a senior Sunni Iraqi leader, condemned “in the strongest terms the terrorist attack.”

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also condemned the attack, followed by the Iranian IRGC, which backs the militias in Baghdad.

The Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also slammed the drone attack, claiming it was a “terrorist act.”

Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the Shi’ite Iraqi National Wisdom Movement, also spoke out, calling the attack “heinous.”

The Iranian and pro-Iran statements make it appear the attack is an “escalation,” when it is Iranian-backed militias who have been behind these attacks.