Prime Minister Masrour Barzani stated that the region has “paid a heavy price” as a result of the war. He disclosed that Kurdish infrastructure and settlements have been targeted more than 1,000 times by missiles and drones. These attacks, according to Barzani, originated either directly from Iran or from militias operating inside Iraq. The KRG reported casualties and significant damage to infrastructure as a consequence of these strikes.
The Kurdistan region has maintained a policy of neutrality throughout the conflict, attempting to distance itself from the belligerents and preventing the use of its territory for attacks against Iran. Despite these efforts to remain uninvolved, the region has experienced severe security repercussions. The instability has disrupted normal economic activity, leading to the substantial contraction in trade volumes cited by regional officials.
“We have been targeted more than 1,000 times by missiles and drones directly from Iran or from inside Iraq by some of the militias. We think these are all unjustifiable attacks on Kurdistan. Unfortunately, we had casualties and we lost people. Many of our infrastructure have been hit badly,” Barzani said.
The decline in trade reflects the broader economic impact of the security crisis on the region. The continuous threat of aerial attacks has likely deterred commercial activity and investment, compounding the direct physical damage caused by the missiles and drones. The KRG’s statement highlights the disconnect between its diplomatic stance of neutrality and the physical reality of being caught in the crossfire of a larger geopolitical confrontation.
While the primary actors in the conflict are the United States, Israel, and Iran, the Kurdish region has emerged as a significant collateral battleground. The frequency of strikes, exceeding 1,000 incidents over five months, indicates a sustained campaign of violence that has severely impacted the local population and economy. The region’s leadership attributes these attacks to both state and non-state actors, describing them as unjustifiable assaults on Kurdish sovereignty and safety.
The 70 percent drop in trade represents a critical economic setback for the Kurdistan Region, which relies heavily on cross-border commerce and internal market stability. The prolonged nature of the conflict, now entering its sixth month, suggests that the economic and social costs will continue to accumulate. The KRG’s public accounting of the damage serves as a record of the war’s impact on a party that has not been a direct combatant but has suffered extensive physical and economic harm.
The situation in Kurdistan remains volatile, with no immediate signs of de-escalation in the attacks on the region. The unresolved security threat and the resulting economic contraction pose significant challenges for the KRG as it attempts to recover from the physical damage and rebuild its trade networks.
