US withdraws troops from Iraq, Kurdistan fears Iranian attacks — Jerusalem Post
The United States is set to complete the withdrawal of its military forces from Iraq at the end of September 2026, including from Iraqi Kurdistan. Against this backdrop, the authorities of the autonomous region fear increased threats from Iran and the paramilitary formations it supports, The Jerusalem Post reports.
US military personnel were stationed in Erbil and at one other facility in Kurdistan. At the same time, the United States will retain a large consulate in Erbil. A US State Department spokesperson confirmed to local media outlet Rudaw that Washington would adhere to the agreed schedule for ending coalition military operations in Iraq.
Attacks on Kurdistan
According to the publication, after US and Israeli strikes on Iran began, Tehran carried out more than a thousand missile and drone attacks on Iraqi Kurdistan. Their main targets were Kurdish opposition groups from Iran that are based in the region.
Among such organizations, the publication mentions the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, the left-wing group Komala, PJAK, Xhabat, and the Kurdistan Freedom Party. The latter, according to The Jerusalem Post, previously fought against the Islamic State alongside Kurdish peshmerga forces.
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The publication also writes that over the past six months, Iranian strikes have targeted, among other places, the offices of Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
Need for defense
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani raised the issue of the region's security in a recent interview with the Financial Times. The Jerusalem Post notes that Kurdistan needs means of protection against drone and missile strikes, while the peshmerga forces need further support.
There are also concerns in the region that US funding for the peshmerga could end along with the departure of American troops. Kurdistan's authorities say they have begun the process of reforming and unifying these forces.
Iraqi Kurds have enjoyed significant autonomy since the early 1990s, and after the 2003 US invasion, their autonomous status was enshrined in Iraq's constitution. In September 2017, the region held an independence referendum, in which more than 92% of approximately 2.8 million participants supported independence.
