Iraq can increasingly handle the threat from ISIS without US troops, but its lack of sophisticated air defenses will leave the Kurdistan Region and other parts of the country vulnerable to Iranian missiles and drones after the US-led coalition completes its withdrawal, former US Ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman told Rudaw.

Unifying the Peshmerga forces can strengthen their capabilities by ending party affiliation and help them secure their full financial entitlements from the Iraqi state, Peshmerga Minister Shoresh Ismail told Rudaw on Monday.

The United Nations is calling for an end to fighting in the Gulf and a return to freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told Rudaw in an interview on Monday.