U.S. Defense Official Meets Lt. Gen. Sihad Barzani, Warns of Threats to Kurdistan Region’s Critical Infrastructure
A senior U.S. defense official met with Peshmerga Lt. Gen. Sihad Barzani, reaffirming the security partnership and discussing threats to the Kurdistan Region's critical infrastructure, amid ongoing Peshmerga reform efforts.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The U.S. Consulate General in Erbil announced today that Senior Defense Official Colonel Stephanie Bagley met with Lt. Gen. Sihad Barzani, Commander of the Peshmerga 1st Support Forces Command, where she reaffirmed the United States’ strong partnership with the Kurdistan Region and discussed the growing threat posed by malign actors targeting the region’s stability and vital infrastructure.
In a statement on X, the consulate said the meeting underscored Washington’s commitment to the Kurdistan Region’s security at a time of heightened concern over destabilizing activities across northern Iraq.
In a meeting with the Peshmerga Commander of the 1st Support Forces Command, Lt General Sihad Barzani, Senior Defense Official Colonel Stephanie Bagley reinforced strong ties with the IKR and discussed the threat of malign actors who endanger the region’s critical infrastructure… pic.twitter.com/NMhj8CoYYM
— U.S. Consulate General Erbil (@USCGERBIL) December 11, 2025
The engagement comes as Erbil and Washington intensify joint work on Peshmerga reform, logistical support, and force restructuring, following a series of high-level meetings between the Ministry of Peshmerga and the U.S. Office of Security Cooperation.
Just two weeks earlier, senior Kurdish commanders—including Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Isa Ozir and Secretary-General Lt. Gen. Bakhtyar Mohammed Sadiq—met with Col. Dick Pylowik, head of the U.S. Security Cooperation Office, to review security developments and assess coalition support mechanisms.
According to the ministry, discussions focused on strengthening logistical delivery channels, improving operational capability, and accelerating the ministry’s long-running reform program.
These meetings coincide with the Kurdistan Region’s most significant restructuring effort in years. As part of the ninth cabinet’s reform agenda, the Kurdistan Region Presidency recently issued a decree placing Unit 80 under a new unified formation titled Area Command 1, which will include six Peshmerga divisions under the ministry’s direct authority.
The restructuring is designed to eliminate parallel command structures, unify brigades into standardized divisions, and enhance overall readiness—steps repeatedly emphasized by both Erbil and Washington as essential to long-term stability.
During today’s meeting, Col. Bagley highlighted the threat posed by actors seeking to undermine regional stability and harm critical infrastructure—an issue frequently raised by U.S. officials amid ongoing attacks by Iran-aligned groups across Iraq.
The discussions reinforced the U.S. view that a unified, reformed Peshmerga force remains central to protecting the Kurdistan Region and preserving the broader security of northern Iraq.
The Ministry of Peshmerga has vowed to deepen cooperation with U.S. military teams in the coming phase, particularly on logistics synchronization and reform implementation. A new round of coordination meetings is expected as the ministry begins the practical rollout of Area Command 1 and continues merging forces under a single institutional framework.