ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Tuesday congratulated Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on his appointment as the third supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, reiterating the Region’s commitment to maintaining friendly relations with its eastern neighbor amid escalating regional tensions.
In a message to Khamenei released by his office, President Barzani said, “On the occasion of your election as the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I extend my warmest congratulations to Your Excellency and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
He also expressed hope for success in Khamenei’s new role, adding, “I wish you every success in this new duty and responsibility.”
Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of the late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei (1939 - 2026), was named Iran’s new supreme leader on Sunday.
In a statement issued that day, Iran’s Assembly of Experts - the clerical body responsible for selecting the ultimate arbiter of the country’s political and religious structure - said that “by the decisive vote of its honorable representatives,” it urges “the noble people of Iran” to “pledge allegiance” to the new leader.
The appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei comes a little over a week after the US and Israel launched a joint aerial campaign against Iran on February 28, killing several of the country’s top leaders and commanders, including long-time supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
For its part, Iran said on Friday that it had launched more than 2,000 drones and over 600 missiles targeting US and Israeli positions as part of its multi-front counter-campaign.
The Iranian response has also included attacks carried out by armed groups aligned with the Iran-led ‘Axis of Resistance,’ including shadowy militias that have in recent days targeted alleged US positions in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region.
President Barzani’s message comes as the Kurdistan Region has repeatedly emphasized that it will not side with any party in the ongoing Iran-Israel-US war. Kurdish officials have also vowed that the Region will not allow its territory to be used as a launchpad for attacks against neighboring countries.
In his Tuesday message, the Kurdish leader reiterated that the Kurdistan Region “remains committed to developing historical and friendly relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, for the mutual benefit of both peoples and for peaceful coexistence throughout the region.”
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