Kurdistan Region PM Barzani meets US Special Envoy Barrack in Erbil

ERBIL, Iraq — Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Erbil with a senior US delegation led by Washington's Special Envoy for Iraq and Syria, Tom Barrack. The talks were also attended by US Embassy Baghdad Chargé d'Affaires Joshua Harris and Combined Joint Task Force–Operation Inherent Resolve Commanding General Kevin Lambert, the KRG said. The discussions covered continued US support for the Kurdistan Region, expanding energy investments, and resolving regional administrative obstacles, according to a statement from the prime minister's office. Both sides stressed the need to accelerate the formation of a new KRG government to end the region's political deadlock. Barzani conveyed the KRG's appreciation for US support and underlined the strategic importance of strengthening civilian and security ties with Washington. Barrack, for his part, delivered a message of respect from US President Donald Trump toward the Kurdish people, the Kurdistan Region, and President Masoud Barzani. The delegations also affirmed the importance of backing the federal government led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and resolving disputes between Baghdad and Erbil within a constitutional framework. On the economic track, the two sides agreed to expand trade between federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and to increase American investment in the region's strategic energy sector, the statement added.