The United States says it is “deeply disappointed” by the Iraqi Kurdistan’s “unilateral” independence referendum, adding it would increase “hardships” for people living in the region.
“We believe this step will increase instability and hardships for the Kurdistan region and its people,” the State Department said in a statement on Monday, shortly after the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) defied international pressure to cancel the vote.
“We believe all sides should engage constructively in a dialogue to improve the future of all Iraqis. The United States opposes violence and unilateral moves by any party to alter boundaries,” the statement read.
The department noted that the secession bid would “greatly complicate” the KRG’s ties with the central Iraqi government, as well as the country’s neighbors.
However, It said that Washington’s “historic relationship” with the people of Kurdistan would remain…