Kathmandu— Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq, declared on Saturday that the semi-autonomous region has no desire to become a party to the ongoing regional conflict sparked by the war between the United States and Israel against Iran. Despite facing more than 1,000 missile and drone attacks since the conflict began on February 28, Barzani emphasized that no party has pressured the region to enter the war and maintained that all regional issues must be resolved through peaceful dialogue.

Impact Of Regional Attacks

The Kurdish region's infrastructure has suffered severe damage due to a surge in hostilities. These attacks, which have exceeded 1,000 incidents, have originated either directly from Iran or from within Iraq via various militias.

Barzani characterized these strikes as "unjustified" and noted that the al-Harir Air Base near Erbil was targeted by five missiles from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in March. While the IRGC identified the facility as a headquarters for the US army, Barzani clarified that the base has been empty of US troops for nearly a decade, following the defeat of ISIL.

Security And Arms Control

Addressing internal security, Barzani expressed support for the Iraqi government's efforts to bring all weapons under official state control. This aligns with a mandate from Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who has sought to establish a state monopoly on arms to curb the power of paramilitary groups.

The Iraqi government has established a September 30 deadline for all armed factions to disarm and surrender their weapons to state authorities.

Diplomatic Relations And Regional Dynamics

On the diplomatic front, Barzani confirmed that the Kurdistan Regional Government maintains no relations with Israel. However, he noted that ties with Syria and Turkiye are deepening through "mutual cooperation."

This diplomatic shift follows a significant meeting between KRG President Nechirvan Barzani and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, marking the first visit by an Iraqi Kurdish leader to Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

The Role Of Kurdish Opposition Groups

The region remains a focal point for Iranian Kurdish opposition parties, which have been on high alert since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran. These groups operate from bases within the semi-autonomous region and inside Iran, placing them on the front lines of the conflict.

There has been ongoing discussion regarding the possibility of these fighters entering the conflict to topple the Iranian government, a move that US President Donald Trump and Israel have suggested could shift the balance of power in Iran, where Kurds constitute approximately 10 percent of the population.

The region continues to navigate a delicate balance between maintaining its autonomy and avoiding direct involvement in the broader Middle Eastern conflict.

(With inputs from (manual retry))

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.