Kurdish Peshmerga completes its long process of unification – explainer

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced on Monday the completion of a decade-long process to unify its Peshmerga forces. Prime Minister Masrour Barzani called it a "historic day for Kurdistan and the Peshmerga," emphasizing that "all forces have been brought under the umbrella of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs." This unification, supported by Western countries, particularly the US, aims to professionalize the Peshmerga, which historically consisted of separate forces aligned with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The move comes as US forces withdraw from Iraq and amid ongoing threats from Iran. Barzani stated that this is only "the first stage and first step of a long process," with future efforts focusing on strengthening military capabilities and removing the Peshmerga from partisan rivalries.