Madrid, April 20, 2026 – The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, specifically involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, has prompted the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to ramp up its diplomatic activities in Madrid. The autonomous region of Iraq is seeking to establish communication channels with Spanish regional authorities, emphasizing its neutral stance while facing significant consequences from a war it did not initiate.
KRG Seeks Madrid’s Attention Amid Regional Tensions
On April 8, a detailed email was sent to selected deputies of the Madrid Assembly, outlining the severe impacts of missile and drone strikes in the region, alongside the recent reinstatement of oil shipments from Iraq to Turkey following US intervention. The message, signed by Darawan Hamid Ghafar, the KRG representative in Spain, underscored the Kurdistan Region’s precarious position, stating, “The Kurdistan Region is going through difficult times due to the effects of the war between Israel, the United States, and Iran, as it has been caught in the crossfire between these forces… It is bearing the consequences of a war it did not initiate.” The KRG explicitly requested a meeting to discuss these pressing issues.
On April 10, Enrique Ossorio, President of the Madrid Assembly and a close confidant of regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, informed the Mesa (the parliamentary governing body) of the KRG’s request. The stated purpose of the meeting was “to establish a channel of communication regarding the consequences of the war between Israel, the United States, and Iran.”
Accelerated Diplomacy in the Spanish Capital
The KRG delegation had previously met with senior officials from the Community of Madrid’s Ministry of Economy in December and with representatives from the Ministry of Education in March, where they presented a project to open a Spanish school in Kurdistan. They have also engaged with senators and other regional governments, such as Castilla-La Mancha. However, their diplomatic efforts in Madrid have significantly accelerated since the escalation of the US-Israel-Iran conflict, leading to a surge in diplomatic contacts across the Spanish capital.
The KRG has consistently declared its neutrality in the conflict. However, the email to the Assembly included four attached documents detailing, among other incidents, a drone attack on March 28 that targeted, among other places, the residence of Nechirvan Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Region. The Iraqi region holds a strategic northern position, bordering Turkey and Iran.
Despite these efforts, no specific meetings have been scheduled with political parties, who are still considering the KRG’s proposal, which parliamentary sources describe as unusual. The KRG delegation stated via email, “We have requested meetings with the presidencies of other assemblies in different autonomous communities. It should be noted that our Representation has already held institutional meetings with presidents of autonomous communities – the highest authority of regional governments – as well as with other authorities, which has allowed progress in different lines of cooperation.”
Wider Repercussions and Political Divisions
The Middle East conflict’s ripple effects have also reached the Madrid Assembly through other channels. Earlier this month, it was revealed that the United States denied entry to Kian, a 14-year-old Iranian student from the Severo Ochoa Institute in Alcobendas, who was selected to represent the Community of Madrid in a UN educational project in New York.
The PSOE attempted to secure an institutional declaration of support for the student from the Assembly deputies, but this failed due to the requirement for unanimity, which the PP did not provide. Mar Espinar, the PSOE spokesperson in the Madrid Assembly, commented, “Ayuso does not defend him because she supports Trump’s illegal war, which sows death and destruction.” This highlights the deep political divisions within the Assembly regarding the conflict, with the regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, having shown strong support for Israel’s policies.
Even though the war is geographically distant, its effects are palpable in Madrid through emails, meeting requests, and private messages that influence the public stances of all political parties.
