Both the United States and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday condemned a drone strike targeting the residence of Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in Duhok. Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government confirmed the drone strike on Barzani’s home.
The US issued a forceful statement blaming Iran-backed militias, saying, “The United States unequivocally and forcefully condemns the despicable terrorist attacks by Iran’s terrorist militia proxies in Iraq on the private residence of Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani.” It added, “These actions by Iran and its proxies are a direct assault on Iraq’s sovereignty, stability, and unity.”
The statement further said, “We categorically reject the indiscriminate and cowardly terrorist acts that Iran and its terrorist proxies have unleashed in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and throughout Iraq.”
Araghchi also condemned the strike, an implied denial of responsibility, calling it a “terrorist act” and warning it reflects broader efforts to destabilize the region. He suggested the attack could be linked to operations by the United States and Israel, alleging such actions are intended to create tensions between countries in the region.
He reiterated that Iran rejects attacks targeting national figures or threatening stability in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, describing such incidents as part of wider destabilization efforts in the Middle East.
The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions and a series of drone and missile attacks that have raised concerns over security and the risk of further escalation across the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the wider region.