Trump Calls Iraqi Kurdish Leaders Barzani and Talabani to Discuss War with Iran and Post-Conflict Role

President Donald Trump spoke separately on Sunday with Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani, the leading Kurdish political figures in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region, according to three sources cited by Axios. The calls, which one source described as "sensitive," focused on the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and potential post-conflict developments, and took place one day after Trump authorized airstrikes. Kurdish Peshmerga forces deployed along the Iran-Iraq border control strategically significant territory that could add an important ground dimension to the air campaign. Some U.S. officials cautioned that Israel's assessment of Kurdish willingness to confront Iran may be overly optimistic, though they acknowledged the Peshmerga's significant field capabilities, while noting that Kurdish tensions with Turkey could complicate matters.