Prime Minister Barzani Rejects Israel Ties, Says Kurdistan Will Avoid Regional Conflicts

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said Saturday that the Region has no relationship with Israel, stressing that foreign policy is the responsibility of Iraq's federal government in Baghdad.

"We have no relationship with Israel, and national foreign policy is a prerogative of the federal government," Prime Minister Barzani told Qatar's Al Jazeera.

His comments put the Kurdistan Region's position on relations with Israel within Iraq's constitutional framework, with Prime Minister Barzani emphasizing that decisions on national foreign policy rest with the federal authorities.

No ties with Israel

Prime Minister Barzani's remarks were part of a broader discussion with Al Jazeera about the Kurdistan Region's position toward the conflicts and tensions affecting the Middle East.

The prime minister also said the Kurdistan Region's Government has not been pressured by any outside party to become involved in the current regional conflicts.

According to Al Jazeera, Prime Minister Barzani said the Region's priority is to protect its territory and population while avoiding involvement in hostilities elsewhere in the region.

He said the Kurdistan Region has experienced more than 1,000 missile and drone attacks, which he attributed either to Iran or to militia groups operating from within Iraq.

Prime Minister Barzani also reiterated the Region's support for the Iraqi federal government's policy of placing weapons under the control of official state institutions.

Kurdistan Region rejects regional conflicts

Prime Minister Barzani said the Kurdistan Region does not want to become a party to regional wars and instead seeks to shield itself from their consequences.

His comments come as the Region continues to emphasize its security concerns while maintaining that it does not want its territory used as a base for involvement in conflicts beyond Iraq.

Prime Minister Barzani also rejected claims of an ongoing US military presence at Harir Airbase, saying the facility has not hosted US troops for about a decade, according to Al Jazeera.

Relations with neighbors

On relations with neighboring countries, Prime Minister Barzani described ties with Damascus as good and developing.

He also characterized relations with Türkiye as very good and marked by cooperation.

The comments underline the Kurdistan Region's stated approach of maintaining relations with neighboring countries while seeking to avoid becoming directly involved in regional conflicts.

Prime Minister Barzani's central message, however, was that the Kurdistan Region has no relationship with Israel and that Iraq's federal government remains responsible for national foreign policy.