Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) President Nechirvan Barzani warned on Wednesday that Iraq could face “international isolation” unless the issue of armed factions and their weapons is resolved, while drawing a distinction between those groups and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

In an interview with Al-Sharqiya News, Barzani questioned attacks by factions against neighboring countries, arguing that such actions could damage Iraq’s relations with regional states.

He said threats against neighboring countries and attacks on Arab states with drones, as well as the presence of a threat emanating from Iraq toward Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain, in addition to the threat against the Kurdistan Region, "do not serve Iraq’s future.” 

Read more: Days to disarm Iraq's factions: deadline or negotiable ceiling?

Government program presented by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi as he sought to form his government clearly included a commitment to place weapons exclusively under state control, He stressed.

“The fundamental question is: Where is Iraq heading?” Barzani asked, adding, “We are all in the same boat, whether in Baghdad or Basra, all the way to Zakho. We are all together. Therefore, we believe that these actions carried out by the factions are not in Iraq’s interest.”

He called for a swift resolution to the issue of the factions, saying their leadership needs to reach a point where it understands “where Iraq’s interests lie.” Barzani also questioned who ultimately exercises power in Iraq: “Is it the prime minister who governs, or the political forces, or groups operating outside the law?” 

Read more: Iraq under regional pressure as neighbors threaten to strike Iran-aligned factions

Investment companies are concerned about uncontrolled weapons in Iraq, he revealed, clarifying, “Whenever we travel abroad and invite major companies to invest in Iraq, the first question every company asks is: Is there security and safety?”

KRI President expressed “special respect” for the sacrifices made by the PMF and the Iraqi army, alongside the Peshmerga forces in Kurdistan, in defending the Iraqi people. “The PMF is a state institution established under the law, and I reiterate that we have the utmost respect for them and for their sacrifices in defending Iraq.”

Addressing the distinction between the PMF and armed factions, he noted that officials in Baghdad have repeatedly told Kurdish officials during visits to the capital that there is a difference between the PMF and the factions. “But in the end, both the factions and the PMF receive their budgets from the Iraqi state.”

Read more: The evolution of Kurdish power in Iraq: Governance, oil, and constitutional ambiguity