Iraqi Kurdish party PUK confirms Trump–Talabani phone call amid US-Israel conflict with Iran

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party says US president briefed its leader on Washington’s objectives in Iran conflict as fighting escalates in Middle East

By Haydar Sahin

ERBIL (AA) – The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on Monday confirmed that US President Donald Trump held a phone call with its leader, Bafel Jalal Talabani, amid escalating tensions following the US-Israel conflict with Iran.

In a statement issued after a meeting of the Iraqi Kurdish party's politburo, the PUK said Trump briefed Talabani on Washington’s objectives in the ongoing conflict, which began with attacks targeting Iran.

According to the statement, Trump expressed appreciation for the PUK’s role in Iraq and underlined the importance of strong cooperation between the US and Iraq to achieve shared goals.

Talabani said the call provided an opportunity to gain a clearer understanding of US aims in the conflict and to support negotiations aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Iraq and the US.

The confirmation follows earlier reporting by Axios, which said Trump held sensitive phone calls on Sunday with both Talabani and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani.

Sources cited by Axios said the outreach came after months of behind-the-scenes lobbying by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has pushed for engaging Iraqi Kurdish factions due to their strategic proximity to Iran’s borders as part of efforts to pressure or counter Tehran.

The White House has not commented in detail on the specific calls but said Trump has been in regular contact with regional allies and partners in recent days.

The discussions took place against the backdrop of heightened military activity, including US and Israeli strikes on Iranian sites and Iranian retaliatory missile and drone attacks in the Kurdistan Region, including areas near Erbil.

Founded in 1975 by Jalal Talabani and others, the PUK is one of the main Iraqi Kurdish political parties. It is currently led by Bafel Jalal Talabani, Jalal Talabani’s eldest son, who has served as the party’s sole leader since 2021.

*Writing by Selcuk Uysal from Ankara

Kaynak:

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