Bafel Talabani Condemns Iranian Missile Strikes on Peshmerga, Calls for International Action

Peregraf — Bafel Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), issued a strong condemnation on Tuesday following a series of "Iranian ballistic missile strikes" on Peshmerga positions in the Soran district, calling the attacks a violation of Iraqi and Kurdistan Region sovereignty and demanding urgent action from the Iraqi federal government and the international community.

"We strongly condemn the martyrdom and wounding of a number of our heroic Peshmerga forces," Talabani said in an official statement, extending his deepest condolences to the families, relatives, and comrades of the fallen fighters and wishing a speedy recovery to the wounded.

Talabani was unequivocal in his denunciation of the strikes, describing the targeting of Peshmerga forces as a direct assault on the sovereignty of both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. He called on Baghdad and world leaders to make every effort to ensure such attacks are never repeated.

The PUK President also reaffirmed the Kurdistan Region's stated position of neutrality in the broader conflict. "We reiterate that the Kurdistan Region has never been a part of this conflict," he said, emphasizing that Kurdish leadership had devoted its efforts to diplomacy and the pursuit of a peaceful solution through dialogue, with the goal of restoring stability to the region.

The statements came in response to one of the deadliest strikes on Kurdish forces since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran. According to the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Peshmerga, six Iranian ballistic missiles were launched in two separate waves against positions in the Soran district, targeting the headquarters of the 7th Infantry Division of Command Area One and a unit of the 5th Infantry Division. Six Peshmerga fighters were killed and approximately 30 others wounded in the attack, which took place on the 25th day of the war, which began on February 28, 2026.

Kurdistan Region authorities condemned the strikes as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and the principles of good neighborliness, urging the federal government in Baghdad and the international community to take decisive action to prevent further attacks. The bombardment has deepened concern among Kurdish officials and the broader public that the US-Israeli war on Iran is increasingly threatening the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region, despite its declared apparent neutrality.