ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday said the Kurdistan Region has been subjected to “an intensive campaign of terrorism” in recent months, aiming to debilitate its infrastructure and economy, but asserted that the Region will “defeat” the current threats through unity and standing with its allies.

Addressing the attendees at the seventh Commencement Ceremony of the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) in Duhok, the Kurdish premier emphasized the significance of the students’ graduation during a pivotal moment for the region.

“The Middle East has entered another critical phase of its stability; Iraq sits at its heart,“ said Barzani, noting that the country is facing threats both internally and externally.

Barzani highlighted the Kurdistan Region’s intensified cooperation with its partners in Baghdad to confront the recent challenges, describing the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi as “a government we have resolved to support actively and fully,” and asserting: “Our joint efforts are laying the foundations of a new Iraqi state.”

The Kurdistan Region has been repeatedly struck by Iran and its Iraqi proxies since the start of the war with the US in late February, with the attacks mostly targeting diplomatic facilities, bases of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, and vital energy infrastructure.

Barzani on Thursday said that more than 1,000 missiles and drones have been fired at the Kurdistan Region since the start of the conflict, aiming to weaken the Region’s infrastructure and economy and hamper its progress.

“Their goal was to stop Kurdistan in its tracks. They failed. We remained resilient. We remained patient. And we kept working with our partners in Baghdad for the good of all of Iraq.”

PM Masrour Barzani on Thursday said the Kurdistan Region has been subjected to “an intensive campaign of terrorism” in recent months, but asserted that the Region will overcome the current threats through unity and standing with its allies pic.twitter.com/EF9VUz7AGe

— The New Region (@thenewregion) September 17, 2026

“We confronted ISIS [the Islamic State] and defeated it by standing together with our partners and allies, and we will confront this threat the same way, and we will defeat it the same way,” Barzani added.

The Kurdistan Region has long insisted upon its neutrality in the broader regional conflict and repeatedly condemned Iranian strikes.

“A strong Iraq needs a strong Kurdistan. A strong Kurdistan brings peace and prosperity to this entire region. And a strong Kurdistan needs unity,” said the Kurdish premier.