Iraq’s Kurdish region was never threat to anyone: Barzani

By Ali Jawad

ERBIL, Iraq (AA) – Iraq’s Kurdish region has never been a threat to anyone, the head of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) said on Sunday.

In a statement marking the Newroz holiday, Masrour Barzani said the KRG will continue defending and upholding its constitutional rights.

KRG “will not surrender its rights under any pressure," he added.

Barzani said the Kurdish region will remain a factor of stability in Iraq and the Middle East.

"Throughout history, Newroz has been a symbol of resistance, fighting oppression, tyranny, and continuing the struggle for freedom and liberation for the Kurdish people," he added.

Last week, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for an attack with 12 long-range ballistic missiles which landed near the US Consulate in Erbil.

The IRGC said the attack targeted Israeli facilities in Erbil in response to an Israeli airstrike on the Syrian capital Damascus on March 7 in which two IRGC officers were killed.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar