Kurdistan Region President hosts US envoy, Iraqi premier issues cabinet call

ERBIL, Iraq — Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani hosted US Special Envoy for Iraq and Syria Tom Barrack in Erbil, with US Deputy Chief of Mission Joshua Harris and Combined Joint Task Force Commander General Kevin Lambert joining the talks. The meeting comes as Washington reshapes its engagement across Iraq, with the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Region navigating overlapping security, political and energy files. The talks covered the disarmament of non-state armed groups in Iraq, support for Prime Minister Ali Zidani's government, and the Kurdistan Region's defense requirements. Barzani also called for accelerating local political unity to reopen the Kurdistan Parliament and form the 10th cabinet of the regional government. Separately, Pearl Petroleum's planned natural gas investment exceeding $10 billion was raised in the discussions, framing energy security as part of broader regional stability. Barrack was also set to meet Syrian Democratic Forces commander Mazloum Abdi later the same day, underscoring Erbil's role as a meeting point between Iraqi and Syrian tracks of US policy. No further details on the outcomes of the meetings were immediately available.