Kurdistan Region president offers condolences over Khamenei’s death, urges peace

ERBIL — Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Sunday extended condolences to Iran over the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and called on the international community to work to halt the war and restore stability to the region.

“We extend our sincere condolences and sympathy to the people, government and leadership of Iran on the martyrdom of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a prominent religious scholar,” Barzani said in a statement dated March 1, 2026. “We share their sorrow in this grave loss and pray that Almighty God envelop his soul in mercy and compassion and grant patience and solace to all.”

“In these difficult times, we reaffirm the importance of safeguarding security and stability and pursuing peaceful solutions to problems,” he said. “To this end, we call on the international community to fulfill its responsibility, work to stop the war and confrontations, and restore stability to the region.”

Khamenei was killed Saturday during coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on multiple sites inside Iran, including Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah. Iran responded with missile and drone launches toward U.S. military facilities and allied sites across the Middle East, including in Iraq and Gulf states.