Macron warns against escalation as tensions rise in Iraq

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for urgent restraint to prevent Iraq from being drawn deeper into the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Macron made the appeal on Saturday after holding talks with Nechirvan Barzani, following a series of violent incidents in northern Iraq.

His comments came in the wake of a deadly strike targeting the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a paramilitary group now integrated into Iraq’s armed forces but which includes factions aligned with Iran. The group reported that three of its fighters were killed in what it described as a joint US-Israeli attack.

“Everything must be done to avoid Iraq being drawn into the current escalation,” Macron said, warning of the broader implications for regional stability.

He also condemned a separate drone attack on Barzani’s official residence, describing it as “unacceptable” and part of a worrying trend of increasing assaults on Iraqi institutions.

The French leader noted that the latest developments come amid a surge in violence, including recent strikes that left several Kurdish fighters dead. These include members of the Peshmerga forces, the armed wing of the Kurdistan region, who were reportedly killed earlier in the week.

Rising tensions have also heightened concerns in Iran, where authorities fear that armed Kurdish groups operating in northern Iraq could infiltrate its western border regions.

The situation underscores growing instability in the region, as multiple actors remain entangled in an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape.