On Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and France’s President Emmanual Macron strongly condemned a drone attack on Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani’s residence in Duhok in a phone call with President Nechirvan Barzani. 

President Macron expressed his condolences to President Nechirvan Barzani and the families of the six Peshmerga who were killed in an Iranian missile attack in Soran on March 24, and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded.

For his part, President Nechirvan Barzani thanked President Macron for the call, as well as for France’s continued support of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

President Macron posted on X that, during the call, he expressed his “support following the unacceptable attack targeting [President Nechirvan Barzani’s] residence in Duhok this morning. This very worrying development comes on top of a rise in attacks against Iraqi institutions, such as the one that caused the deaths of six Peshmerga this week.

“The sovereignty of Iraq, and of Kurdistan within it, is essential for regional stability. Everything must be done to prevent Iraq from being drawn into the ongoing escalation. France remains alongside its Iraqi partners.”

During a separate call, Prime Minister al-Sudani praised President Nechirvan Barzani’s efforts to strengthen unity among all Iraqis, a readout from the Kurdistan Region Presidency said.

Prime Minister al-Sudani ordered the formation of a joint security and technical team, comprising the relevant security agencies of the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, to investigate all aspects of the incident, identify the perpetrators, and take the necessary legal measures against them.

During the call, Prime Minister al-Sudani also reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to preventing any external or international party from dragging Iraq into regional conflicts. He stressed that all efforts were being made to safeguard Iraq’s sovereignty, security, and stability.

For his part, President Nechirvan Barzani expressed his appreciation for Prime Minister al-Sudani’s call and for the federal government’s efforts to maintain security and stability.

In another part of the conversation, the two leaders discussed the latest developments in Iraq and the region, and emphasized the importance of intensifying efforts to promote stability.