France's President warns against pulling Iraq into a widening conflict

French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the need to prevent Iraq from being pulled into the escalating conflict in the Middle East, following a conversation with Nechirvan Barzani, the head of the autonomous Kurdistan region in Iraq, on Saturday.

Macron's remarks came after a deadly strike in northern Iraq targeted the Popular Mobilisation Forces, a former paramilitary group, and were posted on the social media platform X.

According to Macron, all efforts should be made to avoid Iraq being drawn into the current escalation of violence in the region, as he stated "Everything must be done to avoid Iraq being drawn into the current escalation".

The Popular Mobilisation Forces, which is now part of Iraq's army and includes pro-Iran factions, reported that three of its fighters were killed in the attack, which it described as a US-Israeli strike.

During his conversation with President Nechirvan Barzani, Macron also condemned a drone attack on Barzani's official residence earlier on Saturday, deeming it "unacceptable".

Macron expressed concern over the rising number of attacks against Iraqi institutions, citing the example of six eshmergas, members of Kurdistan's armed forces, who were killed in an Iranian missile strike on Tuesday.

Iran's government is wary of the potential for armed Kurdish groups in northern Iraq to infiltrate its own Kurdish region, located in the west on the border with Iraq.