State Department condemns attack on Nechirvan Barzani’s residence

NEWSROOM — The United States condemned Saturday’s drone attack on Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani’s private residence in Duhok, attributing it to Iran-backed militias and calling it “a direct assault on Iraq’s sovereignty, stability, and unity.”

State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Thomas “Tommy” Pigott said Washington “unequivocally and forcefully condemns the despicable terrorist attacks by Iran’s terrorist militia proxies in Iraq,” adding that the United States “categorically rejects the indiscriminate and cowardly terrorist acts that Iran and its terrorist proxies have unleashed in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and throughout Iraq.”

The attack on the Kurdistan Region president’s residence marks a significant escalation in a sustained campaign against the region. Iran’s IRGC and allied militias have carried out more than 450 attacks on the Kurdistan Region since the war began Feb. 28, according to Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, including six Iranian ballistic missiles that killed six Peshmerga fighters and wounded about 30 near Soran last Tuesday.

Prime Minister Sudani called Barzani on Saturday to condemn the attack and ordered a joint federal-KRG security and technical team to investigate and pursue those responsible.