ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A former US diplomat said on Friday that Washington is “deeply concerned” by attacks on Iraq and the Kurdistan Region amid ongoing negotiations with Iran, urging Baghdad to assert control over armed groups and ensure stability.
“I think the United States is deeply concerned by what it sees happening in Iraq from all sides and has, over recent days, called on the Iraqi Government to exercise better control of its territory and to ensure the safety of US diplomats, but also of the Kurdistan Region,” Jennifer Gavito, former US Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs told Rudaw’s Jaafar Mubasher in an interview.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said Friday several drone attacks targeted various locations in the Kurdistan Region late Thursday, despite the ongoing ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran to end the war between the US, Israel and Iran, which began on February 28.
The attacks have largely been attributed to pro-Iran armed groups operating in Iraq, which have repeatedly targeted the Kurdistan Region alongside US interests since the outbreak of the war.
She said that the attacks are “a significant concern for the United States. Instability in Iraq has repercussions for the rest of the region, specifically Syria,” adding that Washington “will be eager to find a way to support Iraq's stability and to ensure that the Kurdistan region does not suffer the consequences.”
A total of 703 drones and missiles have been launched at the Kurdistan Region since the start of the US-Israel war against Iran on February 28, killing 17 people and wounding 92 others, according to the latest data compiled by Rudaw up to the announcement of the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran on Wednesday.
Gavito also said that “we very much need the Iraqi Government to stand up and take responsibility for bringing all of the arms, all of the military components and militias under the control of the Iraqi Government.”
Kurdish officials have accused Baghdad of failing to control the groups, some of which are affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, which has been integrated into the Iraqi state.