US Defense Secretary threatens Iraqi factions: Protecting the Kurdistan Region is a priority
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth affirmed that protecting the Kurdistan Region and confronting pro-Iranian factions is at the heart of the current US strategy, stressing that Washington is closely monitoring attacks targeting the region and its leaders.
This came in response to a question during a press conference, in which he pointed out that the Kurdistan Region has been subjected to 725 drone and missile attacks since February 28, resulting in the death of 22 people and the injury of about 100 others, in addition to recording 20 additional violations after the ceasefire was declared, including targeting the residence of Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in Duhok.
Hegseth explained, during a press conference attended by a correspondent from Shafaq News Agency, that the attacks carried out by Iranian proxies against the Kurds represent “evidence of the nature of the regime in Tehran,” accusing it of seeking to destabilize the region through its armed arms.
The US Secretary of State stressed that the fundamental goal of the ongoing operations and political pressure is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, arguing that this would prevent providing cover for these factions to continue their attacks.
Hegseth concluded by noting that “curbing the influence of armed factions and protecting allies, foremost among them the Kurdistan Region, are priorities within the objectives of current American moves in the region.”
Shafaq.com