Iraqi Kurds stuck between Iran, US
The Iraqi Kurds are worried about the US-Iran rivalry in Iraq, as it will weaken their position in the country more than ever before.
The United States' economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran is expected to reach its crescendo in early November with the imposition of oil and gas sanctions. The Iraqi Kurds who were punished by Tehran and snubbed by Washington last year following their ill-conceived referendum for independence are under extensive pressure to choose a side in this international affray.
“The Kurdish parties are not united and therefore they cannot avoid getting pulled into this rivalry. They will be hit by some sparks from the fire,” Ahmad Haji Rashid, a veteran Kurdish lawmaker in the Iraqi parliament, told Al-Monitor. “What is happening right now in Iraq is a clear war between Iran and America.”
