ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday said Erbil was unaware of any US weapons deliveries to Kurdish groups, asserting that whichever Kurdish party received the arms should disclose it publicly.

US President Donald Trump has on several occasions accused the Kurds of having reportedly kept weapons intended for delivery by the US to Iranian protesters during the nationwide January demonstrations, a claim routinely denied by Kurdish parties.

Asked whether the arms were delivered to the Kurds, the premier noted that “this question must be directed to the US government, because if the United States handed over weapons, they know who they handed them over to.”

“On behalf of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), I say we are not aware of it — the party to whom the United States handed over the weapons should make it public,” he added.

The American president first made the accusation in early April, which was soon denied by Kurdish political forces, with Iranian Kurdish opposition groups collectively rejecting reports of having received any weapons.

The KRG, including both ruling parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), similarly denied the accusation.

Trump’s words have been widely criticized for the lack of specificity regarding the particular Kurdish group that had allegedly received the weapons, which has led to internal strife among the Kurdish political and armed forces.

Doubling down on his statement early in May, Trump stated that he was “very disappointed” in the Kurds for purportedly stealing the weapons, saying “the Kurds take, take, take.”

The premier’s remarks to the reporters came following a high-level meeting with Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali as a part of his ongoing meetings with top officials in Baghdad, following his arrival in the capital on Saturday.

Barzani and Khazali exchanged views on the need for the Iraqi government to support efforts toward resolving the “suspended” issues between Erbil and Baghdad.

Prior to meeting Khazali, Barzani saw former Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, head of Iraq’s Sunni Sovereignty Alliance Khamis al-Khanjar, and Iraq’s National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji.

Barzani also met with former Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, who underscored the importance of the Kurdish premier’s visit to Baghdad, “which will play a positive role in resolving issues and bringing the political parties closer together through dialogue,” Barzani’s office said.

The visit marks the Kurdish premier’s first official trip to Baghdad since the formation of the new Iraqi cabinet and his seventh visit as Kurdistan Region Prime Minister since taking office in 2019.

On Saturday, the Kurdish leader met with a series of high-ranking Iraqi officials including judiciary chief Faiq Zidan, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, and parliament speaker Haibat al-Halbousi.

Barzani is set to hold several other meetings with top government and party officials later on Sunday.