ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and US Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack discussed regional security and bilateral cooperation on Monday, nearly two weeks after the US-led international coalition completed its military withdrawal from the country.
Zaidi received Barrack on Monday evening to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation across various fields, as well as regional developments and efforts to promote security and stability while de-escalating tensions and conflicts, the prime minister’s media office said on Tuesday.
“Productive meeting with PM @AliFalihAlzaidy,” Barrack wrote on X, adding that “Stability is not inherited; it is built by leaders who choose the hard road. Iraq's security and prosperity are the region's. Grateful for his leadership and partnership.”
The meeting comes amid renewed attention to Iraq’s security arrangements following the coalition’s withdrawal, completed under a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington. The move ended the coalition’s military mission inside Iraq, launched in 2014 to combat the Islamic State (ISIS), while its counter-ISIS mission continues from outside the country in an advisory capacity.
Earlier in October, Zaidi declared a “new era” of Iraqi sovereignty following the coalition’s departure, while emphasizing the need to bring weapons under state control.
However, the withdrawal has raised concerns among Kurdish officials over potential gaps in military capabilities, particularly air defense systems, as the Kurdistan Region continues to face repeated drone and missile attacks.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani also addressed the security implications of the transition on Monday at the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) Forum in Erbil, saying Iraq was capable of “standing on its own feet” as a sovereign state. However, he urged Baghdad to accelerate the deployment of air defense systems and ensure that weapons remain under state authority.
“Arms groups should not pose a threat to neighboring countries and the Kurdistan Region,” President Barzani said, stressing the need to address the issue following the coalition’s departure.
The transition was also discussed at the MERI Forum by European diplomats, who welcomed Iraq’s assumption of greater security responsibility while underscoring the importance of continued international cooperation.
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Department of Foreign Relations has similarly welcomed the transition, emphasizing that the coalition’s departure marked “not the end of the partnerships” and expressing hope for sustained security cooperation and expanded economic ties.
RELATED: European ambassadors hail Iraq security transition, Peshmerga role
