Kurdistan Peshmerga minister praises US-led coalition support as troops leave Iraq

 Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — Editor's note: this story was translated from the original VOA Kurdish article.

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s minister of Peshmerga affairs praised the role of the U.S.-led coalition in supporting the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, saying the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq was not unexpected but part of a previously agreed-upon plan.

Peshmerga Minister Shoresh Ismail made the comments in an exclusive television interview with Voice of America.

"Based on the agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs and the U.S. Department of War, a significant amount of money was provided directly to the Peshmerga forces over the past four years, and that support had an impact,” Ismail said.

He said the United States and its Western allies also provided weapons, ammunition and training to Peshmerga forces both inside and outside Iraq.

“I thank them for that,” Ismail said. “The Kurds will always remember the support they provided to the Kurdistan Region during this period, and we will speak of them with respect.”

During the international coalition’s campaign against the Islamic State group, also known as IS, the United States provided the Peshmerga with monthly financial assistance, as well as weapons, ammunition and training. It also supported the Peshmerga Ministry’s efforts to unify its forces.

Under a joint agreement reached with the Iraqi government in 2024, the United States withdrew its remaining forces participating in the mission against IS from Iraq on September 30, 2026. Their main base had been in Erbil.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told VOA on September 29 that the move reflected “the increased capabilities of Iraq’s security forces, including the Kurdish Peshmerga,” and marked an important new chapter in U.S.-Iraq relations.

Several Kurdistan Region officials have previously expressed concerns about the threat posed by Iran-backed armed groups following the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces.

Ismail said Kurdish political leaders’ concerns about the withdrawal stem largely from instability and uncertainty across the region. He emphasized that the Kurdistan Region has no air defense system to protect against drone attacks and said such attacks have increased since the start of Operation Epic Fury on February 28.

“The concern of the Kurdish political leadership over the withdrawal of the international coalition and the United States is due to the deteriorating and unstable situation in the region,” he said.

Peshmerga Minister Ismail described the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces as a “difficult test” for Iraq.

“If Iraq and the Kurdistan Region deal properly with the constitution, the U.S. withdrawal will not pose a threat to the security of the Kurdistan Region,” he said. “But that does not mean there are no threats facing the region.”