Kurdish leader calls for constitutional guarantees, air defenses, and political unity amid growing regional instability

Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani urges Baghdad to uphold the Kurdistan Region's constitutional rights, announces fuel reforms, and warns of mounting security and governance challenges.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has renewed pressure on Baghdad to fully implement Iraq's constitutional framework governing relations with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), arguing that unresolved disputes over salaries, fuel allocations, and security continue to undermine political stability despite improved bilateral relations.

Speaking during a wide-ranging press conference on Monday, Barzani presented a government seeking to balance domestic economic pressures with an increasingly volatile regional security environment. His remarks touched on Baghdad-Erbil relations, fuel subsidies, electricity shortages, government formation, air defense, and regional conflicts, portraying many of the Kurdistan Region's internal difficulties as consequences of both external instability and unresolved federal disputes.

Barzani reiterated that the Kurdistan Region remains committed to peaceful diplomacy and has no interest in becoming involved in wider Middle Eastern conflicts.

"The Kurdistan Region is not a party to regional conflicts," he stressed, emphasizing dialogue as the preferred means of resolving disputes.

Baghdad Relations Improving—But Key Disputes Persist

Although Barzani described relations with Iraq's federal government as being at a "very good level," his remarks revealed that significant structural disagreements remain unresolved.

He praised security coordination with Baghdad and voiced support for Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's reform and anti-corruption agenda. At the same time, he urged the federal government to reverse financial decisions that continue to affect the Kurdistan Region, including withholding approximately 120 billion Iraqi dinars from the Region's financial entitlements.

Salary payments remain among the most politically sensitive issues between Erbil and Baghdad.

Barzani reaffirmed that the KRG intends to continue paying public-sector employees on schedule "within its capabilities," while acknowledging that declining trade activity and reduced revenues have significantly strained regional finances.

His comments suggest that improved political dialogue has yet to translate into lasting institutional solutions over revenue-sharing and budget transfers.

Fuel Allocation Dispute Highlights Longstanding Federal Tensions

One of Barzani's strongest criticisms focused on Iraq's domestic fuel allocation system.

According to the prime minister, the Kurdistan Region requires approximately 126,700 barrels of fuel per day but currently receives only 50,000 barrels from Baghdad.

He argued that this imbalance has forced the KRG to absorb additional economic costs while Iraq continues spending billions of dollars subsidizing fuel nationwide.

To reduce pressure on consumers, Barzani announced new government price controls:

• Regular gasoline: 750 Iraqi dinars per litre
• Commercial-grade gasoline: 850 Iraqi dinars per litre

The government will also review prices for premium and super gasoline.

Barzani linked recent increases in fuel prices partly to regional instability, particularly disruptions associated with tensions affecting energy markets and shipping routes.

Regional Conflict Increasing Economic Pressure

Although the Kurdistan Region has remained outside direct military confrontations, Barzani warned that geopolitical crises continue to generate indirect economic consequences.

He cited instability surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and broader regional tensions as factors contributing to higher costs and greater economic uncertainty across Iraq.

The remarks underscore how events beyond Iraq's borders increasingly shape domestic economic policy, particularly for energy-importing sectors and regional supply chains.

Electricity Crisis Linked to Security Threats

Barzani acknowledged recent electricity shortages while reaffirming the government's commitment to delivering 24-hour electricity throughout the Kurdistan Region.

He attributed disruptions largely to reduced gas production following security threats against the Khor Mor gas field, one of the Kurdistan Region's most strategically important energy assets.

He added that the government continues working with Dana Gas to resolve production challenges and restore stable electricity generation.

The comments reinforce growing concerns that attacks on critical energy infrastructure have become an increasingly significant security challenge for the Kurdistan Region.

Government Formation Remains Stalled

Barzani also expressed frustration over the prolonged delay in forming a new Kurdistan Regional Government.

Nearly 20 months after parliamentary elections, political parties have yet to establish a new cabinet.

He urged all political actors to prioritise public interests, reactivate parliament, and complete government formation without further delay.

The prolonged political deadlock has increasingly raised questions regarding policymaking capacity, reform implementation, and investor confidence at a time when the Region faces mounting economic and security pressures.

Air Defense Emerging as Strategic Priority

Among Barzani's most notable security remarks was his renewed call for an independent air defense capability for the Kurdistan Region.

He warned that coalition forces currently provide much of Erbil's aerial protection, but those capabilities could disappear once international military deployments are reduced.

Barzani also revealed that some drones targeting Erbil had originated from Mosul, highlighting the evolving nature of aerial threats facing northern Iraq.

The request reflects broader concerns that the Kurdistan Region remains vulnerable to drone and missile attacks from both state and non-state actors, particularly as regional conflicts increasingly rely on low-cost unmanned aerial systems.

Analysis: A Message Directed as Much at Baghdad as Domestic Audiences

Barzani's press conference sought to achieve several political objectives simultaneously.

Internationally, he reaffirmed that the Kurdistan Region seeks neutrality amid escalating Middle Eastern tensions, positioning Erbil as a stable partner committed to dialogue rather than confrontation.

Domestically, the announcement of fixed gasoline prices and continued commitments to salary payments attempted to reassure citizens facing rising living costs and persistent economic uncertainty.

Toward Baghdad, however, the message was more strategic. While praising improved relations with the federal government, Barzani repeatedly returned to unresolved constitutional disputes over budget transfers, fuel allocations, and financial rights.

His argument is that cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad has improved politically but has yet to deliver equitable implementation of Iraq's constitutional framework.

The simultaneous call for an air defense system further broadens the discussion beyond economics, suggesting that the Kurdistan Region seeks greater security autonomy as coalition forces gradually reduce their presence.

Taken together, the press conference reflects a KRG attempting to navigate multiple pressures at once: maintaining constructive ties with Baghdad while insisting on constitutional guarantees, shielding citizens from inflation through fuel subsidies, addressing prolonged political paralysis, and preparing for an increasingly uncertain regional security environment.

Whether Baghdad responds to these demands will likely shape not only federal-Kurdish relations but also the Kurdistan Region's economic resilience and political stability in the months ahead.

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