US condemns attack on home of the leader of autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan

A Muslim cleric (L) stands amid Hezbollah flags on March 29, 2026, in the Choueifat area on the outskirts of Beirut during the funeral of journalists killed the previous day in an Israeli strike in south Lebanon.[AFP]

The United States on Saturday condemned a drone attack on the residence of the leader of autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan, Nechirvan Barzani, blaming Iranian militia proxies in Iraq.

"These actions by Iran and its proxies are a direct assault on Iraq's sovereignty, stability, and unity," a statement from State Department deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

"We categorically reject the indiscriminate and cowardly terrorist acts that Iran and its terrorist proxies have unleashed in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and throughout Iraq," he added.

The Iraqi government has promised to investigate Saturday's drone attack that targeted Barzani's second home.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke with Barzani, on Saturday called the attack "unacceptable" and described the rise in attacks on Iraqi institutions as "worrying."

Since the launch of the US-Israeli offensive against Iran on February 28, Iraq has been drawn into a regional conflict it has sought to avoid.

Pro-Iranian groups in Iraq claim responsibility daily for drone attacks and rocket strikes targeting the US military presence, both within Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.

These attacks have targeted the US Embassy in Baghdad and personnel for an international anti-jihadist coalition deployed in Iraq.