EU's Kallas: Iraq troop pullout tied to Iranian threat
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said the US withdrawal from Iraq and recent developments in the country cannot be separated from the threat posed by Iran. The remarks came two days before coalition forces are due to leave and amid mounting concern over air defense in the Kurdistan Region.
RastinewsEuropean Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas told Kurdistan24 that the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq and recent developments in the country must be assessed together with Iran's threats against Iraq.
Kallas said developments across the Middle East cannot be viewed in isolation from one another. She said events in the region need to be monitored with a comprehensive view.
Coalition withdrawal set for September 30
Baghdad has announced that the military mission of the US-led international coalition in Iraq will end on September 30, with the withdrawal of foreign forces completed by that date.
After the pullout, relations between Iraq and coalition countries are expected to shift to a bilateral framework built around security and intelligence cooperation.
Air defense concerns in the Kurdistan Region
The withdrawal is most contested in the federal Kurdistan Region. Officials there have warned that the coalition's departure will leave a security vacuum and raise the risk of missile and drone attacks originating from Iran.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani told the Financial Times in an interview published Sunday that the region has come under more than a thousand drone, rocket and missile attacks since February 28. Barzani said leaving the region without an adequate air defense system would leave it exposed.
Barzani's office said the same day that the newspaper's headline and commentary did not accurately reflect his remarks and requested a correction.
Earlier this morning, three drones struck Azadi Camp in Koya district, Erbil, which houses families of members of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDP-I). The Kurdistan Region Security Council said no casualties were reported in the attack.