Kurdistan region suffers heavy losses from regional war, PM says

Iraq's Kurdistan region is bearing a heavy cost from the ongoing regional war, with Prime Minister Masrour Barzani stating the area has been targeted over 1,000 times by missiles and drones. These attacks, attributed to Iran or Iran-backed militias operating within Iraq, have resulted in casualties and significant damage to infrastructure.

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We have paid a heavy price in the war.

Barzani told Al Jazeera that the repercussions have been severe, leading to a 70 percent decrease in trade across the region. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) estimates the total losses from these attacks up to April at 1.5 trillion Iraqi dinars, approximately $1.14 billion. This economic blow comes at a difficult time, as the region already faces a financial crisis due to disputes with the federal government in Baghdad over salary payments and revenue sharing.

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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.

The KRG spokesman, Peshawa Hawramani, emphasized that the attacks on Kurdistan are unjustifiable and violate Iraqi sovereignty. He stated that the region was not and will not be a party to the conflict and has not allowed its territory to be used as a launchpad against Iran. The KRG has provided the names of the armed factions responsible to both former and current Iraqi governments, but no measures have been taken against these groups, which operate outside state control.

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The regional conflict and the security repercussions led to a 70 percent decrease in trade across the Kurdish region.