A senior Kurdish official told Kan News that the United States proceeded to withdraw air defense systems from the Kurdistan region of Iraq despite Kurdish requests to delay the move amid Iranian attacks. The official said Washington did not heed their concerns.
The United States has reportedly withdrawn its air defense systems from the Kurdistan region in Iraq, a move confirmed by a senior Kurdish official in a statement to Kan News. The official said the Kurds had requested that the withdrawal be postponed in light of ongoing Iranian attacks, but Washington did not grant their request. "We asked to wait with this in light of the Iranian attacks, but we did not get a listening ear," the official said. The withdrawal comes amid ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran, and against a backdrop of Iranian-backed militia activity in the region. As The Zioneer reported earlier this evening, the US had reportedly removed air defense systems from Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, raising concerns about the safety of US forces and Kurdish allies. The Kurdish official's remarks provide the first on-the-record confirmation of the move and the Kurds' objections.
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