The US supports a unified, stable, democratic, and federal Iraq.

US Department of State Spokesperson Heather Nauert stated the aforesaid during Thursday’s press briefing, when asked about the US reaction to the Iraqi Kurdistan authorities’ decision to hold an independence referendum.

“We understand and appreciate the legitimate aspirations of the people of Iraqi Kurdistan,” she added. “We have expressed our concerns to the authorities in the Kurdistan region that holding a referendum, even a nonbinding resolution at this time, will distract from urgent priorities – and that would be the defeat of ISIS, the stabilization, the return of displaced people, managing of the region’s economic crisis, and resolving the region’s internal political disputes. We would also encourage the regional authorities to engage with the Government of Iraq on a full range of important issues between the future of relations between Baghdad and Erbil. Our first and foremost task, we believe, as coalition partners, is to ensure the defeat of ISIS.”