Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, the Kurdish leader and President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Masoud Barzani, stated that Iraq would be the main party harmed if dragged into a regional war, following recent Israeli threats against the country.
In an interview with Sky News Arabia, the Kurdish leader said, "ISIS remains a serious threat, and the withdrawal of Coalition Forces poses a problem unless the Iraqi Army and Peshmerga are properly equipped."
Barzani described the Kurdistan Region's relationship with Baghdad as “good,” noting that some issues, particularly the Region's share of oil, are still under discussion.
Regarding the recent Iraqi parliamentary elections, he said, "The Sunnis have not yet adapted to the changes after Saddam's fall and rejected the proposals made to them." He added, "Shiite forces asked me to mediate with the Sunnis for a consensus on a single candidate for Speaker, but they couldn't agree."
On relations with neighboring countries, Barzani emphasized, "It is not in our interest to have tensions with Iran or Turkiye, and our relations with both are normal." He confirmed, "We never sought to escalate tensions with either country, but we will not allow interference in our affairs."
"The Iranian opposition in the Kurdistan Region does not interfere and follows instructions, whereas the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) interferes and ignores them,” he added.