President Masoud Barzani warned in a message addressed to public opinion on March 8, 2026, that “self-restraint has limits,” in the wake of attacks that targeted areas in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, stressing that the people of Kurdistan have never been advocates of war.
The statement noted that the people of Kurdistan, throughout history, have always sought peace and coexistence, explaining that “if war is imposed upon them, they will defend themselves and their rights.” It affirmed that this principle “stems from the firm faith of the people of Kurdistan and their rich culture of peace and coexistence.”
The statement explained that the wars and numerous tensions currently taking place in the region are “extremely unfortunate,” adding that the hope has always been, in the past and present, that all disputes and issues would be resolved through peaceful means, because “wars bring nothing but destruction and devastation.”
The statement also pointed out that what is surprising is that some groups and parties allow themselves—“under the name of resistance and with flimsy pretexts and slogans that have no basis”—to attack civilian areas and economic infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region, in addition to targeting positions and bases of the Peshmerga forces. It considered these attacks to be “a clear declaration of fueling the flames of war and a blatant assault on the rights of citizens and on the stability and security of the Kurdistan Region.”
Barzani stressed, according to the statement, that “everyone must clearly understand that self-restraint has limits,” emphasizing that the Peshmerga forces “have never submitted to injustice or aggression from any side, nor can these provocations continue; rather, they must not continue to beat the drums of war and undermine the stability of the Kurdistan Region and the security of its citizens.”
The statement added that these provocations require a clear stance from the Iraqi authorities, as Barzani called on the Iraqi government, the Council of Representatives, and the political forces—particularly the Coordination Framework—to take a serious position and put an end to these attacks, warning that the continuation of “fabricated incitement to push toward fighting will have grave consequences.”
At the conclusion of his message, Barzani expressed his condolences to the families of the victims who were killed as a result of the recent attacks, affirming that efforts will continue “with all available capabilities to ensure that Kurdistan remains spared from wars and tragedies, and to safeguard its security, stability, and the lives of its citizens,” expressing his confidence that “victory will remain on the side of the people of Kurdistan.”
In a related context, Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani and Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday, March 8, 2026, participated in the funeral ceremony of (Walat Tahir), who lost his life on Saturday night as a result of a drone attack targeting Erbil International Airport.
Earlier, Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw had announced that the attack on Erbil International Airport resulted in the killing of one airport security member and the injury of three others.
These developments come amid rising tensions in the region in recent days, as sites in the Kurdistan Region have been subjected to shelling by Iran and Iraqi factions loyal to it. Positions belonging to Iranian Kurdish forces were also targeted, while six parties from those forces announced the formation of a political alliance seeking to overthrow the Islamic Republic and guarantee the Kurds’ right to self-determination.
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