The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke yesterday with Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. Secretary Blinken expressed support for the Kurdistan Regional Government and condemned the Iranian missile attacks near Erbil that violated Iraq’s sovereignty. The Secretary and the Prime Minister discussed how the attacks demonstrate the need for Kurdish unity, as well as a productive relationship between the IKR and the Government of Iraq. The Secretary emphasized the urgency of forming an Iraqi government accountable to the Iraqi people that protects the country’s territorial integrity. He also shared the U.S. commitment to work with the Iraqi government and others in the region to hold Iran accountable for its destabilizing behavior.