In a major diplomatic shift that has sent ripples across the Middle East, Iraq’s First Lady, Shanaz Ahmed, has issued a high-stakes appeal directly to the Trump administration. Amid the rapidly escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, Ahmed urged the United States to immediately stop using the Kurdish population as a “geopolitical tool” against Tehran.

Speaking from Baghdad, she warned that involving the Kurdistan region in the ongoing shadow war between the U.S. and Iran threatens to destabilize Iraq’s fragile internal peace and risks dragging the Kurdish people into a devastating regional crossfire they did not choose.

The First Lady’s statement comes as U.S. forces in the region—operating under the current administration’s “Maximum Pressure 2.0” strategy—have intensified their footprint near the Iranian border. Iraqi officials are reportedly concerned that the use of Kurdish-controlled areas for intelligence gathering or military staging will trigger severe retaliatory strikes from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

As President Trump continues to pivot American strategy toward neutralizing Iranian influence, this public plea from Baghdad highlights a growing rift between the White House and Iraqi leadership, who fear their sovereign territory is becoming the primary battlefield for a global power struggle that shows no signs of slowing down.