UK, EU, Jordan, UAE and Syria condemn attack on Nechirvan Barzani’s Duhok residence

DUHOK — International and regional actors joined in condemning Saturday’s drone attack on Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani’s residence in Duhok, calling for accountability and de-escalation.

The United Kingdom consulate in Erbil “strongly condemned” the attack and called for “rapid de-escalation to protect stability in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region.” The European Union Delegation to Iraq and EU member state embassies said they “strongly condemn” the attack, expressing relief that no one was injured and warning that “this kind of irresponsible violence risks further escalating the already critical situation in Iraq and especially in the Kurdistan Region.” The EU said “the perpetrators must be brought to justice” and described attacks on state officials and diplomatic missions as “criminal and unjustifiable.”

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry called the strike “a rejected aggression and a violation of the security and stability of the Republic of Iraq,” affirming full solidarity with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. The UAE condemned it “in the strongest terms” as “criminal acts that threaten security and stability,” expressing full solidarity with Barzani, his family, the Iraqi government and the KRG. Syria described the attacks as carried out by “outlaw groups” constituting “a threat to security and stability in Iraq and the region.”

The United States earlier attributed the attack to Iran-backed militias, calling it “a direct assault on Iraq’s sovereignty, stability, and unity.”

The attack marks a significant escalation in a sustained campaign against the Kurdistan Region. Iran’s IRGC and allied militias have carried out more than 450 attacks on the region since the war began Feb. 28, including six Iranian ballistic missiles that killed six Peshmerga fighters and wounded about 30 near Soran last Tuesday. Prime Minister Sudani ordered a joint federal-KRG investigation into the Duhok attack.