ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – No “final decision” has been reached on the suspension of US aid to the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces, Interior Minister Reber Ahmed said Saturday, amid reports that Washington is discontinuing military aid to the Kurdish forces.

On Friday, a report released by the BBC suggested that the US plans to cut off military support to the Region’s Peshmerga, citing sources familiar with the matter, refusing to renew an expiring agreement that provides security aid to the Kurdish forces.

“From what I am aware of, visits, talks, and the exchange of ideas both here and in the US have been conducted between the delegations of the Peshmerga ministry and the American authorities,” Ahmed told reporters.

“Until now a final decision has not been reached,” he said expressing hope that US assistance, both in terms of military and administration, continues “because we in the Kurdistan Region need it, I imagine we need it more than Baghdad.”

The reports have led to speculations that the US’ reduced support is due to the lack of progress in the Peshmerga reform program.

The Peshmerga ministry on May 3 denied reports that US support for the Peshmerga has been suspended, saying logistical and financial assistance remains in place. The ministry noted that the suspension only applies to the counter-terrorism cooperation against ISIS, citing a “limitation and reduction of ISIS terrorist activities.”

According to a proposed 2027 budget bill, the Peshmerga Ministry is allocated $0 under the Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund (CTEF), down from more than 61-million-dollar in 2026. The bill reserves over 118 million dollars for federal Iraqi forces, signaling a drastic shift in the US’ counter-terrorism support towards Baghdad.

Established in 2014, the CTEF is a US program that supports Iraqi forces, including the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga, as well as security forces in Syria and Lebanon in the fight against ISIS.

In 2022, Erbil and Washington signed a four-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the reform and unification of the Peshmerga forces, which was extended until September 2026 last year.

The agreement provided financial and military support for the integration of the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) Unit 80 and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) Unit 70, which make up the majority of the Peshmerga forces, under the Ministry of Peshmerga.