ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday reaffirmed that the Kurdistan Region will remain protected by the Peshmerga and not become an “easy target for enemies” following the US military withdrawal from Iraq, while calling for the completion of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) formation and stressing that “patience has a limit.”

The comments come following the US-led coalition withdrawal from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region on Wednesday in accordance with an agreement between Baghdad and Washington.

“I thank the [US-led] coalition, but let it be known: Since we have these Peshmergas, Kurdistan is safe and protected. Do not let anyone think that after the coalition, Kurdistan will become an easy target for our enemies,” the premier said during a Monday speech at Duhok University’s graduation ceremony.

“Kurdistan has been protected by the Peshmerga and will remain protected and safe in the hands of the Peshmerga,” he said.

Thanking the US-led Global Coalition that fought alongside Kurds in the battle against ISIS, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday said that Kurdistan will not become an "easy target" following their departure, stressing that the land "will remain protected and safe in the hands of the Peshmerga."

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The withdrawal comes after years of cooperation between the coalition and Iraqi and Kurdish forces in the fight against ISIS.

“Our relations, both at the level of Iraq and as the Kurdistan Region, will continue with the allies but in a different way,” Barzani said, adding that the nature of the relation with the coalition has “changed.”

On Wednesday, President Masoud Barzani lauded the level of coordination between Erbil and Baghdad, emphasizing readiness to respond to any possible future threats, as coalition forces exit the country.

The Kurdish leader dismissed “the inaccurate interpretations” that the departure of foreign troops threatens the existence of the Kurdistan Region, assuring the people of Kurdistan that “there is very good coordination with the federal government of Iraq to respond to any kind of threat or danger, whether that threat comes under the name of ISIS or any other name.”

KRG formation efforts

The premier also spoke of the strained efforts to form a government in the Kurdistan Region, with the process remaining incomplete almost two years after the Region's last parliamentary elections.

“Unfortunately, after two years, neither the parliament has been activated nor has the cabinet been formed,” Barzani added during his Monday speech.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) emerged as the two largest parties in the October 2024 parliamentary elections, winning 39 and 23 seats respectively. However, negotiations to form the next cabinet have repeatedly stalled.

The KDP has “given up some of its entitlements for the greater good of our people,” for the government to be formed, Barzani asserted, while noting that some parties “maybe want the situation to continue as it is,” citing their lack of cooperation and adding that “there must be some who benefit” from it.

“Leave your personal gains, think of the good of your people and your country, put your hand in our hand, convene the parliament, and form the cabinet because our patience also has a limit,” Barzani said.

The KDP and PUK have each blamed the other for the impasse. One of the main sticking points remains the distribution of senior government posts and sovereign ministries, particularly the interior ministry, which the PUK is seeking.

In late June, Saadi Ahmed Pira, a member of the PUK politburo, welcomed renewed efforts to end the Kurdistan Region's prolonged political deadlock, saying they have eased tensions and created conditions for a meeting with the KDP "in the near future."

In mid-September, the New Generation Movement (NGM) said that it will not partake in the Kurdistan Region’s next government and will remain in opposition, despite a formal alliance with the PUK.

The decision comes despite a formal alliance between the NGM and the PUK – which hold 15 and 23 seats in the Kurdistan parliament respectively – that sought to challenge the ruling KDP and hold talks as a unified bloc to form the Region’s long-overdue next government.