Iranian IRGC commander, Quds Force chief since 2020
Kurdistan authorities have reported Iranian-launched drones struck the private office of KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the residence of the region's security agency chief on 17 August, with no casualties. The attacks come as Baghdad presses for a September 30 deadline to bring armed factions under state control and as cross-border strikes and US-Saudi operations have raised tensions across Iraq.
The government has signaled it may extend talks on weapon handover to state control beyond the September deadline as negotiations with Iran-aligned factions continue. Talks are ongoing, with mediation from Coordination Framework leaders, and the aim remains to restrict weapons to the state while avoiding a confrontation.