After the American Shield: What the US Withdrawal Means for Iraqi Kurdistan and Iraq’s New Security Order

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  US withdrawal reshapes Iraq’s security order, exposing Kurdistan to new risks while testing Baghdad’s sovereignty and defence capacity. Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj The United States is preparing to complete the withdrawal of its remaining military forces from Iraq by September 30, closing a 23-year chapter that began with the 2003 invasion and evolved into a long-term counterterrorism partnership. For Baghdad, the departure represents the restoration of sovereignty and the transition toward a bilateral security relationship. For Erbil, however, the same event is being experienced through a fundamentally different security lens. The immediate question is not whether Iraq should possess greater sovereignty, but what happens to the security architecture that has protected the Kurdistan Region while that sovereignty remains contested in practice. The withdrawal therefore exposes a strategic contradiction at the centre of post-ISIS Iraq: Baghdad is gaining greater formal control over national ...
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Baghdad and Erbil Strengthen Coordination on Border Security and Combating Smuggling


Baghdad and Erbil strengthen coordination on border security, smuggling and terrorism as Iraq reviews implementation of its security agreement with Iran.

Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim Al-Aboudi discussed with Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani on Saturday the continuation of coordination between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region on border security and combating smuggling, as a high-level Iraqi committee held a meeting in Erbil to review implementation of the security agreement between Baghdad and Tehran.

Al-Aboudi arrived in Erbil on Saturday morning at the head of a security delegation at the direction of Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi. The visit focused on joint security issues between the federal government and the region, as well as following up on the provisions of the security agreement between Iraq and Iran.

Al-Aboudi's office said in a statement that the national security adviser met with Barzani in Erbil, where they discussed "the overall situation inside Iraq," along with the latest regional and international developments.

The statement added that the two sides discussed continued coordination and cooperation between Baghdad and Erbil in securing the borders, maintaining security and stability, and strengthening security cooperation, as well as exchanging information to prevent smuggling and combat terrorism.

Al-Aboudi conveyed a message from Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi stating that the federal government is committed to making every effort to maintain the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region and all Iraqi cities.

Security Agreement with Iran

Also in Erbil, the Higher Committee responsible for implementing the joint security agreement between Iraq and Iran held a meeting chaired by Al-Aboudi, with the participation of a Kurdistan Regional Government delegation headed by Interior Minister Reber Ahmed.

The regional Interior Ministry said the meeting addressed details of the security agreement, particularly measures to secure the borders, prevent infiltration and smuggling, and maintain security and stability in Iraq.

According to a statement from Al-Aboudi's office, the committee reviewed the implementation of the agreement's provisions and stressed the need for continued communication and coordination between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government regarding implementation of the agreement, in accordance with the directives of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and in a manner that serves "Iraq's interests and sovereignty."

The meeting comes as part of efforts to follow up on implementation of the security agreement concluded by Iraq and Iran to address the issue of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan Region. The agreement focuses on preventing Iraqi territory from being used to launch attacks against Iran and strengthening control over the shared border.

The issue carries security and political significance for Baghdad and Tehran, given the mountainous border stretching between Iraq and Iran and the presence of armed Iranian Kurdish groups in parts of the Kurdistan Region.

The Kurdistan Regional Government participates in implementing border-related arrangements, while the federal government retains constitutional responsibility for foreign policy and Iraq's international border security.

Al-Aboudi's move in Erbil comes as the Al-Zaidi government seeks to strengthen security coordination between Baghdad and Erbil on issues including border control, combating smuggling and terrorism, while also following up on Iraq's security commitments to Iran. 

Further Reading: “Iran’s Cross-Border Campaign Escalates: What the Latest IRGC Strikes Mean for Iraqi Kurdistan” — an analysis of the IRGC’s expanding role and its security relationship with the Kurdistan Region, providing useful context for understanding why Nechirvan Barzani’s ability to maintain a channel with Tehran is strategically significant.

Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj is the founder of Kurdish Policy Analysis and a geopolitical analyst specializing in Kurdistan, Iraq, Iran, regional security and energy politics. He holds a PhD in English Literature from Brunel University London, with research focused on war literature, and has published extensively on Kurdish politics, Middle Eastern geopolitics and regional security.

#Iraq #Kurdistan #Baghdad #Erbil #IraqIran #BorderSecurity #KRG #Iran #SecurityAgreement #MiddleEast

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