On Tuesday, October 8, 2024, a U.S. delegation led by General Kevin Leahy, the commander of the international coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, held a meeting with officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs (MoPA).

The meeting, which was also attended remotely by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Daniel Shapiro, focused on the unification of the peshmerga forces and the reform process within the MoPA.

The officials discussed the recent developments, steps taken, and progress of the overall reform process. Additionally, they shared views on overcoming the challenges facing the process and finding solutions to ongoing issues.

According to a readout from the Kurdistan Region Presidency, both parties emphasized the need for coordination and joint efforts to successfully complete the process. 

They also highlighted the importance of continued support from the United States and other allied nations to ensure the process is successful and to address the obstacles in its path.

In this context, the Kurdistan Region expressed its gratitude and appreciation for U.S. assistance and reaffirmed its recognition of the United States’ ongoing support to the peshmerga forces.

Read More: Peshmerga Take Significant Steps for Reform: Pentagon

Peshmerga soldiers are split between political factions, with 70 units under the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and 80 units under the Kurdistan Democratic Party. The goal of the peshmerga reform project is to unite these units as Regional Guard Brigades under the MoPA by 2026.

A renewed non-binding memorandum of understanding signed by the U.S. Department of Defense and the MoPA in 2022 committed to providing support to the peshmerga, but only if key reforms continue.