Erbil’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani criticized the federal government for using public employee salaries to exert political pressure. In an interview, Barzani called the salary delays a violation of constitutional rights and urged Baghdad to adopt a fair and legal mechanism in the federal budget law.
He said the delay of salaries for three months has caused deep hardship across the Kurdistan Region. Though May salaries were recently paid, Barzani emphasized that people’s livelihoods should never be used as political leverage.
Barzani also repeated the Region’s readiness to cooperate with Baghdad on a new oil and gas law. Talks stalled after Iraq’s Supreme Court struck down the Region’s oil law in 2022, placing control under Baghdad. Since then, crude oil exports have stopped, costing the Region over $25 billion.
He also addressed recent drone strikes on oil infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region. The attacks began on July and lasted four days, halting production of around 150,000 barrels per day. Barzani said the daily losses reached $10 million and confirmed that U.S. companies were managing some of the affected fields. He added that investigations are underway and information is being shared with Washington.
The Prime Minister highlighted Kurdistan’s willingness to boost energy ties with Saudi Arabia, noting long-standing relations between the two sides.
On regional peace efforts, Barzani supported the peace process in Türkiye and welcomed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s call for disarmament. He said the decades-long conflict has displaced thousands, leaving 800 villages unreconstructed. He expressed hope that peace would allow families to return to their homes and rebuild.