WASHINGTON IS CONSIDERING “FORTIFYING” KURDISTAN’S AIRSPACE… AND TRUMP: STRIKING TEHRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM CHANGED IRAQ’S DIRECTION
US President Donald Trump announced that he is considering the request submitted by the Kurdistan Region to supply it with an air defense system, noting that Iraq’s position towards Washington has completely changed and become more friendly, following the targeting of the Iranian nuclear infrastructure at the beginning of this year.
In remarks to reporters from the White House on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, President Trump said regarding supplying the Kurdistan Region with an air defense system: “We are thinking about it. This issue was not among our priorities previously, but we are hearing about it increasingly now.”
Trump added: “The situation in Iraq is completely different from what it was before we destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and relations have undergone major transformations.”
The US president noted the decline in the “fear factor” surrounding Iran and its significant diminished prestige, asserting that it no longer plays that dominant role. He explained, “Previously, Iran played the role of the main threat in the Middle East, and Iraq was being oppressed by Tehran.”
Trump stressed that following the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, Iraq became more open to dialogue with Washington and showed a greater willingness to reach an understanding.
He continued, saying: “Iraq nominated me for the Nobel Prize, which is a great honor that we did not expect from the Iraqi side.”
The US president also criticized his country’s past policies, saying: “We had a former president who thought invading Iraq was a very smart idea; we invaded, and suddenly, instead of having a counterbalance to Iran, Tehran ended up dominating the Middle East for a long time.”