US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he was concerned about continued clashes between Iraqi forces and the Peshmerga, saying the US was "disappointed that the parties have been unable to reach an entirely peaceful resolution."
Tillerson was in Geneva where he met with UN representatives, including Staffan de Mistura, the special UN envoy for Syria.
The Secretary of State explained he had “a very lengthy” telephone call with Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani. He also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi twice this week.
“I encouraged Prime Minister Abadi to accept Erbil’s overtures for talks on the basis of the Iraqi constitution,” said Tillerson.
Arguing against what would be a devastating war between Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) issued a statement Wednesday morning making three proposals: the cessation of fighting in the Kurdistan Region; freezing the outcome of the independence referendum; and beginning dialogue with the federal government on the basis of the Iraqi constitution.
Tillerson said the United States is ready to assist the two sides “to chart a positive course forward.” He called on them to use “peaceful, political means.”
Abadi on Thursday rejected the offer, saying he would accept nothing less than annulment of the Kurdistan independence referendum that saw 92.7 percent support for leaving Iraq.
That morning, Iraqi forces and the Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi launched multiple attacks on Peshmerga positions northwest of Mosul. The Peshmerga stated that they repelled the attacks.
Clashes also occurred near Pirde (Altun Kupri), on the Erbil-Kirkuk road.
Jan Kubis, the UN Secretary-General Special Representative to Iraq, met with KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday.
Both “expressed concern over recent clashes and emphasized that dialogue between Erbil, Baghdad is the way forward,” according to Falah Mustafa, head of Kurdistan Region’s foreign affairs department.
Last week, the Iraqi and Hashd forces retook the majority of the disputed areas in Kirkuk, Diyala, and Nineveh provinces from Kurdish control.
The US, among others, has condemned hostilities between Iraq and the Kurds, urging them to engage in dialogue and focus on the war with ISIS. They have expressed particular concern over Iranian influence on the Iraqi forces.
Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Quds force, is a military advisor for the Hashd al-Shaabi.
Speaking last weekend in Riyadh where he had met Abadi, Tillerson called for “Iranian militias” in Iraq to “go home.” Baghdad hit back, telling Tillerson that all forces in the Hashd are Iraqi and no one can tell Iraq what to do.
The Hashd al-Shaabi called for all US troops to leave Iraq and Iran’s Supreme Leader told Abadi to be wary of US “tricks.”
Tillerson clarified his stance in Geneva on Thursday. "What we are saying to the Iraqis is you must develop the capacity to stand on your own," he said.
