PM Barzani, Top U.S. Diplomat in Iraq Demand Action on Salaries, Oil Exports
PM Barzani and Amb. Steven Fagin agreed on the urgent need for salary payments from Baghdad, the resumption of oil exports, and an end to drone attacks. They also called for a new KRG government to be formed before Iraqi elections.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the top U.S. diplomat in Iraq on Saturday presented a united front on the Kurdistan Region's most critical challenges, agreeing on the urgent need for Baghdad to release salary payments, for northern oil exports to resume, and for an end to drone attacks on energy infrastructure.
In a high-level meeting in the Kurdistan Region on Saturday, July 19, Prime Minister Barzani hosted Steven Fagin, the Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. The meeting, also attended by U.S. Consul General Steve Bitner, covered the general situation in Iraq and the strengthening of bilateral relations.
According to a readout of the meeting, both sides came to a clear consensus on several pressing issues. They agreed that the federal government "must send the Kurdistan Region's salaries and financial entitlements as soon as possible," and that the export of the Region's oil through the Turkish port of Ceyhan "should resume in the near future."
Prime Minister @masrourbarzani received Ambassador Steven Fagin, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.https://t.co/ILm25RhwpK
— Kurdistan Regional Government (@Kurdistan) July 19, 2025
They also jointly stressed that the "terrorist and destructive drone attacks on the Region's oil fields and energy infrastructure must stop."
On the political front, both sides agreed that a new cabinet for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) "must be formed before the Iraqi parliamentary elections," adding a timeline to the long-delayed internal political process.
During the discussion, Ambassador Fagin reaffirmed Washington's support for the federal entity and for a "strong Kurdistan Region." In turn, the Prime Minister thanked the United States for its "continuous support."
The points of agreement in the meeting touch on the core economic and security crises facing the Kurdistan Region.
The salary dispute has been a long-standing source of friction with Baghdad, leading to months-long delays in paying hundreds of thousands of public sector employees and causing significant economic hardship. The issue is tied to broader disagreements over budget allocations and revenue management.
The call to resume oil exports addresses the halt in pipeline flows since March 2023, following an international arbitration court ruling in favor of Baghdad. This shutdown has deprived the KRG of its primary revenue source.
Furthermore, the demand for an end to drone attacks highlights a persistent security threat. The Kurdistan Region's energy infrastructure has been repeatedly targeted by drone and rocket strikes widely attributed to Iran-backed militias, in what is seen as an effort to destabilize the region's energy sector.
