Kurdistan Region Will Not Succumb to Pressure, Says KRG Envoy in Baghdad
KRG vows not to yield as Iraq withholds salaries, sparking tensions. Kurdish officials decry 'collective punishment,' seek constitutional resolution amid Eid crisis.
By Ahora Qadi
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region possesses strategic leverage and will not yield to political or financial coercion, declared Faris Isa, Head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Representation in Baghdad, amid mounting tensions over Baghdad’s suspension of public salaries in the Region.
Isa’s remarks followed the May 28 decision by Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami to halt the disbursement of salaries for Kurdistan Region public employees, citing alleged overspending beyond the Region’s allocated budget quota. The move has drawn sharp criticism from Kurdish officials and sparked renewed concerns over fiscal discrimination.
In a Facebook post, Isa affirmed the Region’s resilience, stating, “The Kurdistan Region is not weak, as some may think.”
He emphasized that Erbil retains multiple constitutional and legal avenues to address such challenges and continues to receive support from national partners and the international community. He reiterated that the Region “will not kneel” and remains committed to resolving disputes in accordance with Iraq’s constitution and the principle of national partnership.
Salaries weaponized amid budget disputes
For months, the Iraqi Federal Ministry of Finance has repeatedly delayed the monthly transfer of salaries to KRG employees, often invoking reasons the KRG dismisses as politically motivated and legally baseless.
Veteran Kurdish politician Hoshyar Zebari strongly condemned the federal decision, labeling it “very bad” and tantamount to a “collective punishment” against the people of Kurdistan under the pretext of administrative and financial grievances.
In a statement shared on the social media platform X, Zebari warned that such measures “will not go unpunished,” adding, “We do not live in a utopia, and history shows that aggressors are eventually held accountable.”
قرار حكومة السيد السوداني الاطار التنسيقي بايقاف تمويل رواتب موظفي اقليم كردستان و في توقيت سئ جدا لمعاقبة جماعية و تجويع لمواطني الاقليم من خلال التشبث بحجج مالية وإدارية سوف لن يمر مرور الكرام و بدون عواقب فنحن لا نعيش في مدينة فاضلة و تاريخنا السياسي يؤشر بان المعتدي سيعاقب.
— Hoshyar Zebari (@HoshyarZebari) June 3, 2025
U.S. diplomat warning ahead of Eid
Former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad also sounded the alarm over the federal government’s continued withholding of salaries, particularly as Eid al-Adha approaches.
“Baghdad's suspension of payment of salaries to KRG employees is creating a political crisis and is threatening to make the celebrations of the coming Eid difficult and sad.,” Khalilzad wrote on X.
He urged Baghdad to expedite the payment of salaries before the holiday, calling it “It is vital that escalation of this crisis is avoided and salaries paid prior to Eid” and a necessary measure to ease tensions between the two governments.
In a direct appeal to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, Khalilzad stressed the importance of shielding Kurdistan’s citizens from the fallout of political disagreements and ensuring the protection of their economic rights without delay.
Baghdad's suspension of payment of salaries to KRG employees is creating a political crisis and is threatening to make the celebrations of the coming Eid difficult and sad. It is vital that escalation of this crisis is avoided and salaries paid prior to Eid. Prime Minister…
— Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) June 2, 2025
As pressure mounts both domestically and internationally, the Kurdistan Region maintains its resolve, signaling that it will continue to defend its constitutional entitlements and oppose any attempts at political marginalization.
