Barzani: Iranian War United Iranians
Nechirvan Idris Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, said in an exclusive interview, “There is no military solution to the crisis in Iran. Everything must be done to strengthen the ceasefire.”
The senior official, responding to a question about the fragility of the ceasefire and ways to prevent the resumption and re-escalation of the war, stated, “I’m still witnessing clashes of mentalities. Regarding this ceasefire, Iranians are sensitive and worried about details. Americans want to find quick solutions. But patience is also needed.”
Barzani, regarding Israel’s bombing of Lebanon, said, “This is a mistake. They must immediately stop the bombing to ensure the durability of the ceasefire, especially because Israelis are not only attacking Hezbollah, but also damaging the country’s infrastructure.”
The President of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, responding to a question asking, “Did the Americans ask you at the beginning of the war to intervene to facilitate uprisings inside Iran?” emphasized, “The Americans never brought up regime change in Tehran to us. Instead, they insisted on the necessity of stopping Iran’s nuclear program and missile programs. No one, ever, has asked us Kurds to intervene militarily in Iran. We are opposed to using our territory as a base against our neighbors. We do not want to be part of this war.”
Nechirvan Barzani, answering the question “You graduated in Iran, you speak Persian, and you know the country; how do you assess the stability of the regime?” replied, “I have been explaining for a long time that you cannot change a country’s regime with air strikes. The Iranian regime is a unique combination of religion and nationalism: this war united them. Today, the regime has managed to survive. Even the assassination of leaders has not been very effective, as their replacements were immediately selected. Iranians had already learned many lessons from the war of last June and are well prepared to face this new attack; they know how to survive. The only way forward now is diplomacy.”
Regarding his assessment of the strength of Iran’s opposition today, he said, “The opposition lacks a political structure and lacks local leaders. Let’s not forget that the protests that occurred were a result of dissatisfaction with the economic situation. At the same time, there are no lines at gas stations, shops are regularly open, and the regime maintains control of the situation.”
Barzani, responding to the question “The Strait of Hormuz is still closed: How can the Kurdistan Region help Iraq’s energy export crisis?” said, “We are ready to strengthen our oil pipelines to Turkey. Iraq is currently exporting about 300,000 barrels of oil per day from the Kurdistan Region, and we can increase that to 700,000 barrels per day.”
