Prime Minister Barzani Receives Call From Iraqi PM al-Zaidi Condemning Drone Strike on KRG Prime Minister's Office
Federal Prime Minister tells Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani the attacks on Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are unacceptable in any form, as Baghdad and Erbil reaffirm their shared commitment to security and stability
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani received a phone call on Tuesday from Iraqi Federal Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, in which the federal prime minister condemned the drone strikes that targeted the private office of Masrour Barzani and the landing site of the Kurdistan Protection Agency Director, stating that such attacks against Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are unacceptable in any form.
The call was announced by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani's office on Tuesday, which stated: "Today we received a phone call from the honorable Ali Falah al-Zaidi, Federal Prime Minister. The Federal Prime Minister condemned the drone strike on our private office and the landing site of the Kurdistan Protection Agency Director, and said these attacks against Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are unacceptable in any form."
Barzani expressed gratitude for al-Zaidi's call and follow-up, and both sides reaffirmed the importance of protecting the security and stability of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
The call reflects the unified stance that Baghdad and Erbil have adopted in the face of Monday's predawn attack, in which two Hadid-110 drones launched from within Iranian borders struck official KRG government sites in Pirmam district, Erbil governorate, at 00:28 a.m. on Monday, according to the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Directorate. No casualties were reported.
Al-Zaidi's personal call to Masrour Barzani carries particular significance given the broader political context. Two Iraqi government sources told Kurdistan 24 exclusively on Monday that al-Zaidi's last meeting with IRGC Quds Force Commander Ismail Qaani had not gone well, with al-Zaidi insisting on Iraqi sovereignty and state control over weapons and demanding that future Iranian visits go through proper diplomatic channels, remarks that left the Iranian delegation visibly angry. The federal prime minister's swift condemnation of the drone strike on KRG government sites, delivered directly and personally to Masrour Barzani by phone, reinforces the message al-Zaidi delivered to Qaani: that attacks on Iraqi and Kurdish institutions are not acceptable under any circumstances.
The call from al-Zaidi joins a growing wave of international condemnation of the attack. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry issued a strong condemnation on Tuesday, calling the strikes a flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity. The UAE issued its own official condemnation on Monday. The Independent Human Rights Commission of the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdistan Rawendi Confederation both condemned the attack as a violation of international law. It demanded serious international action to prevent recurrence.
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani had already responded to the strikes with characteristic resolve on Monday, stating: "These attacks cannot stop us. We will continue our duties and the protection of our citizens."