Rubio holds call with Iraqi Kurdish leader, State Department says

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday, the State Department said, adding he expressed "gratitude" to KRG for enabling oil from Iraq, including from Iraq's Kurdistan, to reach global markets.

"The secretary also expressed his gratitude to the Kurdistan Regional Government for enabling oil from Iraq, including from the Iraq Kurdistan Region, to reach global markets," the State Department said in a statement.

The Iran war has raised oil prices and shaken global markets.

The State Department said Rubio "offered his condolences to the families of the Peshmerga killed in an Iranian missile attack on March 24 and wished a speedy recovery to those injured."

At ‌least six Kurdish Peshmerga fighters were ​killed and ​30 wounded in ⁠a rocket attack ​on their ​base north of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, ​a Peshmerga statement ​said on Tuesday.

The ⁠Peshmerga statement said Iran carried out a "treacherous ​attack," adding ⁠that six Iranian ballistic missiles ​struck a ​Peshmerga ⁠military headquarters north of Erbil ⁠early ​on Tuesday.

The Iran war began on February 28 ​when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. Tehran ​subsequently ⁠responded by launching its own attacks on Israel and Gulf states with U.S. bases. Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran and Israeli attacks ⁠in ​Lebanon have killed thousands .

U.S. ​President Donald Trump has offered shifting goals and timelines for the ⁠war, ranging from overthrowing Iran's government to destroying its military and missile capabilities. On Thursday, he once again said he thinks his side has won the war.