Erbil’s new US Consulate signals tighter ties, KRG eyeing anti-drone defenses: Official

WASHINGTON DC - The upcoming inauguration of the new US Consulate in Erbil - set to be one of the largest worldwide - signals Washington’s long-term commitment to the Region, a senior Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) official in the US told Rudaw, adding that acquiring anti-drone defense systems will be a top priority for Erbil in the coming period, particularly in light of recent attacks on energy infrastructure.

Trifa Aziz, the KRG’s Representative to the US, said the inauguration is not only “a strong and clear reflection of the long-standing partnership” between Erbil and Washington, but also “a vote of confidence” in the Kurdistan Region, which “remains the most reliable, tried, tested partner and ally of the United States.”

Importantly, Aziz added that the new Consulate will pave the way for further expansion of Erbil-Washington ties, both economically and on security matters.

The prominent KRG official highlighted that the administration of US President Donald Trump is prioritizing “peace and stability in the Middle East” as well as “economic expansion,” and that the KRG aligns with these goals. She referenced multi-billion-dollar energy contracts signed by KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani with American companies, along with visits by US business delegations to the Kurdistan Region earlier this year.
 
Of note, Prime Minister Barzani affirmed in late November that “every oil and gas contract with the KRG is valid," underlining that this remains the case despite claims to the contrary, which have been taken to court.

On the security front, Aziz indicated that “good plans” were underway. “We are still looking for the United States government to provide the Kurdistan Region with anti-drone equipment,” she said, adding that “these defensive systems will help us protect our region from attacks” and stressing that “security remains a top priority” for Erbil.

The remarks come days after a liquid storage tank at the Khor Mor facility in the Kurdistan Region’s eastern Sulaimani province was struck last week. Kurdish officials said the attack caused an estimated 80 percent drop in the region’s electricity production, before power was restored on Sunday.

The incident was the latest in a series of drone and missile attacks that have targeted the Kurdistan Region’s civilian and energy infrastructure, which have intensified dramatically in recent months.

Aziz asserted to Rudaw that the frequent and sophisticated nature of recent attacks "really necessitates the expedition of these weapons to the Kurdistan Region."

Iraq held its early legislative elections on November 9, followed by the general vote two days later. The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced the final results in mid-November.

The Reconstruction and Development Coalition (RDC), led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, emerged as the frontrunner with 46 seats in the 329-member parliament, while the Kurdistan Region’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) received the highest total votes for a single party, garnering more than 1.1 million votes and winning 27 seats.

Since then, negotiations have been underway among political parties to form the next cabinet.

Aziz emphasized the US’s firm stance on non-state actors, noting, “I think that message is very clear to the government in Baghdad” and that addressing outlaw armed groups “will clearly be an item of priority [by the Trump administration]” to Iraq’s upcoming government.

Following is the full transcript of Rudaw’s interview with Trifa Aziz, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Representative to the United States.

Rudaw: You know that the United States has long said that they are committed to a stronger Kurdistan within a unified Iraq. When the United States is opening the largest US consulate in the world in Erbil, what does that mean for KRG and Washington relations?

Trifa Aziz: Thank you first of all for having me. I think it is a strong and clear reflection of the long-standing partnership between Kurdistan and the United States. This relationship dates back to decades of strategic partnership and resulted in many successes over these years.

I think the opening of the US’s largest consulate in the world in Erbil is a signal of the strength of that relationship, but also a vote of confidence of the relationship that the Kurdistan Region has with the US, and particularly, we say that Kurdistan remains the most reliable, tried, tested partner, ally of the United States, and will continue to do so in the coming years, and we very much look forward to this opening in a couple of days.

So how do you see this opening the new consulate facility in Erbil affecting the economic and security ties between Erbil and Baghdad, and Baghdad and Washington? You know, there's a lot of disputes between these two governments - the KRG and Baghdad - and the United States has been engaged with them for a long time. How do you see the impact of this new facility in that area?

I think one of the priorities of this administration under [US] President [Donald] Trump is for peace and stability in the Middle East, but also for economic expansion, and the KRG is in line with that goal.

We have been working since the beginning of this year on expanding our relationship and strengthening the economic partnership, and particularly American investment in the Region. We started the year off with the prime minister, his Excellency [KRG Prime Minister] Masrour Barzai's visit to Washington, where we signed multi-billion dollar deals with US companies.

We followed that up with two very senior American business trade delegations. For the first time ever this year, we had a US-sponsored trade delegation with the US Chamber of Commerce, and just recently, a week ago, we had the US-Kurdistan Business Council.

So this focus has a priority, not just for us, but also for the US government in expanding that.

Clearly, the expansion is not limited to Kurdistan. There are also many companies that are wishing to operate in Baghdad and we think that greater economic independence, greater economic expansion, and investment is better for the entire country, both in Iraq and in the Kurdistan region.

You mentioned that the relations between the KRG and Washington have been historic relations that have lasted for a long time and the United States has committed their support for, not in terms of economy, but in security. You fought against the Islamic State (ISIS) together. How will this expansion of diplomatic presence in the Kurdistan Region impact the KRG and Washington relations further, including in expanding economic and security cooperation in the future?

I think there are good plans in place for that expansion. Clearly on the security front, that remains important. We are still looking for the United States government to provide the Kurdistan region with anti-drone equipment. These defensive equipment will help us to protect our region from attacks, as we have recently seen, as well as de-escalating tensions in the region, and I think while security remains a top priority, I think economic relations with the US and international partners is a key priority for the KRG.

I was about to ask you about the drone attack on the Khor Mor gas field - one of the largest gas fields in the Kurdistan Region - and we’ve heard that the KRG Prime Minister Mr. Barzani; he called on the US to provide the means to protect their civilian infrastructure. I think it's worth noting that in the US National Defence Act 2024 (NDAA), there was an article which required the Department of Defense - now renamed as the Department of War - to provide the anti-missiles or anti-drone system to KRG. Why hasn't this happened?

I would say the government continues to work on that mandate that is in the NDAA, as you had mentioned. I know that both the Department of State and the Department of War are working through that process. It has been delayed for various reasons.

However, I think the, say, frequent attacks and the sophistication of these attacks in the Kurdistan Region recently, as well as over the summer where US firms, energy companies were attacked, really necessitates the expedition of these weapons to the Kurdistan Region. That's what we're going to be doing, working very hard on calling and urging the US, and I think the US government understands the situation and wants to be helpful, and that process, I know, is underway currently.

Mark Savaya has been appointed by President Trump as Special Envoy for Iraq, and he is preparing to visit the Kurdistan Region. So do you think that having a special envoy for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region will allow more US influence in Iraq, and how does the KRG see itself in this area?

Yes, I think it's a very positive development that President Trump has appointed a US envoy. It means that the attention of this region is important to the president. I think that's a clear message. We're very much looking forward to working with Mr. Savaya. He has many friends in Kurdistan, and we look forward to his visit soon to the Region. I think he has been very clear on social media about the US position regarding non-state actors, regarding the militia, and that they really should not be operating outside of the state. That is something that we also agree with, and we very much look forward to making that a reality with the assistance of the US government. I think that message is very clear to the government in Baghdad - the federal government - that going forward, especially now after the completion of the successful elections in the Iraqi parliament and the ongoing discussions regarding government formation, it will clearly be an item of priority to remove these non-state actors from arms and causing disruption, conflict, and violence in the region.

So the United States is expanding its diplomatic mission in the Kurdistan Region. Will the KRG be taking any steps here in Washington, just reciprocal steps of expanding your mission here, having more presence in Washington?

Yes. So we've been working very hard to expand our engagement, our cooperation, our communications, not just with the US government, but with members of the Congress, with the think tank communities and policy advisors, with the American companies, investors, and the like. So it is a priority for me and my office here in Washington to continue that expansion and I think through frequent visits, both with Kurdish leadership to Washington and with American officials and members of Congress to Kurdistan, that we can achieve that closer, strengthened relationship.

So I'll ask my last question. Looking ahead, what areas are you looking for or hoping for between the KRG and Washington relations to grow? Is there any specific area that you're looking for to strengthen your relationship?

I think as I said earlier, we're very much focused and it's a priority to strengthen and expand our economic partnership, and the US government is in alignment with that as a priority, especially with this Trump administration. So we'll continue on that into the coming year. However, I do think we need to stay focused on the security and the protection of Kurdistan and being able to defend ourselves and that would require us to have anti-drone and defensive equipment.

So that will continue to be a priority in our engagement with Congress and the new iteration of the NDAA, and we'll continue to bring as many folks as we can to Kurdistan, because I think one of the most impactful efforts we can do is to have people go and visit and see for themselves all the progress, as well as all the challenges that we have, so that when they come back to Washington, they are well-informed on how to support and assist us.