ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said that the Region has been targeted more than 600 times during the recent regional war, criticizing Baghdad for "not doing enough" to restrain pro-Iran militias operating in Iraq and voicing his support of the nascent ceasefire. “Since the beginning of the war, we have been hit more than 600 times. This is unacceptable. Iraq cannot be stable unless it controls the militias,” Nechirvan Barzani said in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera published Friday. Barzani said the Iraqi government is “not doing enough” to prevent attacks on the Kurdistan Region, stressing that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is “not satisfied” with Baghdad’s response. Strikes by Iran and Iran-aligned factions within Iraq relentlessly targeted US interests, hotels, and Kurdish security forces in the Region following the launch of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran in late February. Most of the attacks have been claimed by pro-Iran militias in Iraq, with Kurdish authorities repeatedly calling on Baghdad to rein them in and accusing them of not taking action given that many of the groups in question are officially on the Iraqi state's payroll through the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The assaults have killed at least 16 people, injured dozens and caused extensive material damage in the Kurdistan Region. On Tuesday, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said that Baghdad “knows very well” who the parties involved in the recent attacks on the Kurdistan Region are, yet Baghdad “has not taken any practical steps” to stop the attacks. The US-Iran ceasefire Nechirvan Barzani reiterated his support for the truce achieved between the US and Iran, asserting that there is no "military solution" to the crisis and that "everything must be done to consolidate the ceasefire," as well as expressing his belief that it should be extended to Lebanon. "I also see a clash of mentalities. The Iranians are slow, they meticulously work on details. The Americans want to find quick solutions. But patience is needed," he observed. Barzani also stressed that "no one ever asked us Kurds to intervene militarily in Iran" and that the Kurdistan Region will not be used as a launchpad for strikes on its neighbors.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said that the Region has been targeted more than 600 times during the recent regional war, criticizing Baghdad for "not doing enough" to restrain pro-Iran militias operating in Iraq and voicing his sup…
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Vice President JD Vance downplayed the scope of the conflict in Iran, saying he would not describe it as “a war” given that major combat operations ended several weeks ago — even though military strikes recently intensified in the region. Bloomberg's Abeer Abu Omar has the latest.
Sep 4th, 2026 US VP Vance on Iran Conflict: “I Wouldn’t Call it a War” | Daybreak Europe 9/4/2026 Bloomberg Daybreak Europe is your essential morning viewing to stay ahead. Live from London, we set the agenda for your day, catching you up with overnight markets news from the US and Asia.
And we'll tell you what matters for investors in Europe, giving you insight before trading begins. Vice President JD Vance downplayed the scope of the conflict in Iran, saying he would not describe it as “a war” given that major combat operations ended several weeks ago — even though military strikes recently intensified in the region.
Global stocks extended their advance as easing bets on a Federal Reserve interest-rate hike this month lifted sentiment. And Volkswagen’s supervisory board backed a sweeping restructuring that calls for 50,000 additional job cuts, far fewer models and a smaller industrial footprint, giving Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume his clearest mandate yet to overhaul Europe’s biggest carmaker.
Jordan, a U.S. ally hosting American military forces, has faced repeated drone and missile attacks, which reports suggest are linked to Iranian operations, alongside broader economic challenges and regional instability. Despite these security risks, Jordanian officials have affirmed their commitment to the alliance, while King Abdullah II warned that current global and regional disruptions pose a broad threat to international stability.
Oil prices rose this week as conflict intensified in the six-month war, with Iran reportedly maintaining control of the Strait of Hormuz while the US presses a counter-blockade of Iranian ports. Iranian authorities claimed to have targeted US military assets in Kuwait and the UAE, though Kuwait confirmed intercepting a missile and drone attack on its air base, while the UAE reported no evidence of an attack on its own facilities.
These exchanges followed Iran’s attribution of a deadly wedding strike in Kuhestak to the US, a claim US Vice President JD Vance stated is currently under investigation but disputed by Washington.