According to KurdPress, Kifah Mahmoud, Massoud Barzani's media advisor, in an interview with the Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper, considered the published reports about the withdrawal of US forces and Patriot defense systems from around Erbil to be due to "misperceptions."He said that the process of relocating US forces and equipment began months ago and according to a predetermined plan and is not a sudden move.

According to him, the US has not removed all Patriot systems from the region and has retained some of this equipment to protect its interests in the Kurdistan Region.

Kifah Mahmoud also explained that US forces stationed at the Ain al-Assad base and other areas of Anbar province had been transferred to the Harir Air Base in Erbil in recent months based on an agreement with the federal government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, and now the same forces are being transferred to other countries.He added that the withdrawal process also includes some forces, equipment and defense systems, but there is no permanent US military base in the Kurdistan Region, and the forces present are mainly advisors who are tasked with training and supporting the Iraqi armed forces and the Peshmerga.

These statements come after the Al-Monitor website previously reported that the US military had quietly withdrawn most of its forces and air defense systems from near Erbil airport, and that this process began last week.