Kurdish Peshmerga completes its long process of unification - explainer

The Kurdistan Regional Government announced Monday that its Peshmerga forces have completed a decade-long unification process. Prime Minister Masrour Barzani called it a historic day, stating all forces are now under the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs. The next phase focuses on strengthening military capabilities and acquiring advanced weapons, as US forces prepare to leave Iraq and Iranian threats persist.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq announced on Monday that its Peshmerga forces have finally completed a long-awaited unification process, more than a decade in the making. Prime Minister Masrour Barzani declared it a historic day for Kurdistan, stating that all forces have been brought under the umbrella of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, operating within a single modern military structure unified in operations, training, command and control, communications, and accounting. The announcement comes as US forces are set to leave Iraq ahead of a September 30 deadline and as Iran continues its threats, with its militias having carried out 1,000 attacks since February. The unification process, supported by the US-led coalition, aimed to replace the parallel party armies controlled by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with a single professional force. Barzani cautioned that unification is only the first step, with the next phase focusing on strengthening military capabilities, acquiring advanced weapons and air defense systems, and developing personnel according to international standards. He emphasized removing the Peshmerga from partisan rivalries, calling for it to be a national Kurdistani force above party and individual interests. However, the article notes that the KDP and PUK still cannot form a unified government, creating numerous challenges for the Kurdistan Region.