Masoud Barzani, the longtime president of the Iraqi region of Kurdistan, on Sept. 24, 2017. Late Sunday, his supporters, some holding clubs, stormed the Kurdish parliament, shouting “Barzani is our president!” and seeking to violently confront lawmakers critical of Barzani. Immediately after the Sept. 25 referendum, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered that all border crossings, airports and oil facilities in the Kurdish region be turned over to federal control. Iran and Turkey threatened to close their borders with the Kurdish region. Earlier this month, Abadi ordered Iraqi forces into Kirkuk and other disputed areas.

Source: Washington Post October 29, 2017 13:18 UTC