“Met with Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and reaffirmed U.S. support for a strong and resilient Iraqi Kurdistan Region that is critical to the stability of Iraq and the broader region,” Rubio said on X.
During the meeting, Rubio and Barzani discussed avenues to broaden trade and investment between Washington and Erbil, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
“The Secretary commended the Prime Minister for finalizing deals with US companies to expand natural gas production in the IKR [Iraqi Kurdistan Region], which will help Iraq move toward energy independence,” Bruce said in a statement on Friday.
Barzani arrived in Washington last week for meetings with President Donald Trump’s cabinet and American congressmen. He described his trip as boosting the Kurdistan Region’s “deep partnership” with the US.
This week was about landmark energy deals, commerce with our U.S. partners, and bringing prosperity to the people of Kurdistan and all of Iraq.
— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) May 24, 2025
We’re adding another layer to our deep partnership with the United States. pic.twitter.com/cI3o5bOs6A
While in the US, Barzani oversaw the signing of two major energy agreements with US-based companies HKN Energy and WesternZagros valued at a combined $110 billion over their lifespan.
Baghdad has rejected these deals as illegal. The Iraqi oil ministry said that all partnerships must go through the federal government.
Barzani has called on the Iraqi government to reconsider this stance. “I hope that they think about the interest of the Iraqi people. The more they show softness, the more they will see that the efforts we make are to the benefit of all Iraq,” Barzani told Rudaw.
The Kurdish prime minister also defended the new energy deals in an interview with Fox News on Saturday.
“We have the constitution that clearly states what rights the Kurdistan Region has. Kurdistan does have the right to sign deals, especially on the development of the gas and energy sector. We have signed deals in the past, and these two companies have been operating in Kurdistan for the past 15 years,” Barzani said.
He also praised the US as being “instrumental” to the Kurdistan Region, especially in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS). “We are very grateful for what the US has done, and we hope that the US will continue to see us as partners,” Barzani said.
Washington and Erbil enjoy strong ties. The US has been one of the primary backers of the Kurdistan Region since it secured autonomy in the 1990s and has played an instrumental role in the development of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, especially as the head of a global coalition against ISIS. It is also the primary backer of Peshmerga reforms.
The US is also set to soon open a new consulate general in Erbil that will be the world’s largest.
