WASHINGTON DC – The United States has reaffirmed its backing for a “strong and resilient” Kurdistan Region and categorically dismissed reports of a potential prisoner exchange involving abducted Israeli-Russian researcher, Elizabeth Tsurkov, allegedly involving the US, Israel, Iran and Iraq.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce commented about Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meeting the Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in Washington on Friday, noting that the two leaders “discussed opportunities to further increase trade and investment” between the US and the Region.
Secretary Rubio and PM Barzani “discussed their mutual interest in protecting the rights of religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria,” she added, affirming “US support for a strong and resilient” Kurdistan Region.
She further quoted Rubio as commending PM Barzani for “finalizing deals with US companies to expand natural gas production” in the Kurdistan Region, noting that these deals will help the whole of Iraq “move toward energy independence.”
The contracts, signed last week with U.S.-based HKN Energy and WesternZagros, are valued at a combined $110 billion over their lifespans.
However, the Iraqi Oil Ministry quickly rejected the agreements, calling them “a clear violation of Iraqi law” and insisting that all oil investment procedures must go through the federal government in Baghdad. The Kurdistan Regional Government has defended the agreements, saying they are built on existing contracts.
On Tuesday, a senior Iraqi lawmaker confirmed to Rudaw that the Oil Ministry has filed a lawsuit in a Baghdad commercial court against the two American energy firms.
Basim al-Ghraibawi, a member of the Iraqi parliament’s oil and gas committee, added that “the oil ministry’s lawsuit against the contracts of the Kurdistan Region is registered in the commercial court, and these types of lawsuits are taken against the companies.”
When asked about the lawsuits, the US State Department spokesperson remarked that the US is “looking forward to continuing these kinds of deals, which we expect to flourish and would hope that they would be facilitated.”
She emphasized the strategic value of such partnerships in helping Iraq achieve energy independence and reiterated Washington's commitment to inclusive economic development.
“The United States supports economic deals that benefit all Iraqis, including the two announced last week.”
She also urged Baghdad and Erbil to cooperate in accelerating domestic gas production, calling it essential for Iraq’s long-term stability and prosperity.
“These types of economic partnerships will benefit both the American and Iraqi peoples and help Iraq move toward energy independence,” she added.
Bruce also noted the significant presence of American energy firms in the Kurdistan Region’s oil sector, stating, “U.S. oil companies have invested billions of dollars,” and expressed optimism about future cooperation. “We hope to see additional investment from US oil companies throughout Iraq,” she said.
The US State Department spokesperson also addressed the case of Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian researcher and Princeton University academic who was abducted in Iraq in 2023.
In recent days, reports have circulated suggesting a possible prisoner exchange deal involving Iran, Iraq, and Israel, with claims that Tsurkov could be exchanged for members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, a detained member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and several other Iranian nationals currently held in US custody.
However, Bruce denied these reports, calling them “categorically false.”
She added nonetheless that “the United States remains committed to ongoing discussions regarding her case, and we have consistently emphasized to the Iraqi government the urgency of securing her release.”
On Syria, the State Department spokesperson noted that Washington has taken several important steps aligned with former President Trump’s vision of a stable Syria.
“We have also taken significant steps to lift sanctions against Syria,” Bruce said, noting that on Friday, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued Syria General License 25, which authorizes certain transactions that were previously prohibited under Syrian sanctions regulations, including those involving specific blocked entities.
Bruce added that Secretary Rubio also waived certain Caesar Act sanctions for 180 days as part of broader relief efforts.
“The cessation of sanctions against Syria will advance our primary objective: the enduring defeat of [the Islamic State] ISIS, by giving the people of Syria a chance for a better future,” Bruce stated.
“The United States will remain focused on the mission to defeat ISIS and eliminating terrorists who threaten Americans,” she concluded.
