(March 23, 2026)

Sources within the Erbil government confirm to EL PAÍS that they have asked the Kurdish-Iranian militias not to launch an attack from Iraqi-Kurdish soil, fearing reprisals from a neighboring country that is far stronger and more militarily capable. “It’s not our war,” says a high-ranking official, echoing the regional mantra that resonates in the Gulf capitals, where Iranian fire is bombarding American targets and has wreaked havoc on the global supply of hydrocarbons, on which 90% of Iraqi exports depend.