The United States has welcomed the resignation of the Kurdish President Masoud Barzani on Monday while saying that they will now channel their diplomatic efforts between the Kurdish and Iraqi governments through the office of the Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, Rudaw reported.

President Masoud Barzani announced on Sunday that he will not seek to stay in in office after he served as the highest executive authority in the Kurdish Region for 12 years. Most of the powers held within the office of the Kurdish presidency now lie in the hands of the PM Nechirvan Barzani following a vote by the Kurdish parliament.

The US State Department called Masoud Barzani  “a historic figure and courageous leader of his people,” who most recently fought alongside the US-led Global Coalition against the ISIS.
It added that the decision by Masoud Barzani to step down “represents an act of statesmanship during a difficult period.”

In his resignation speech, President Barzani discussed the Kurdish independence referendum held last month, the fall of Kirkuk, and the world's silence as Iraqi security forces, supported by the Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi have swept through Kurdish-controlled areas since October 16.

President Barzani in particular criticized the US silence.

“Our people should now question, whether the US was aware of Iraq’s attack and why they did not prevent it,” Barzani said.

The statement –attributed to the spokeswoman of the State Department – did not respond to Barzani's criticism.

Spokesperson Heather Nauert instead stated the US believes that “a strong KRG within a ‎unified and federal Iraq is essential to its long-term stability and to the enduring defeat of ISIS.”