Peshmerga Minister Attends Coalition Ceremony and Defense Talks in Jordan
At a Glance
- KRG officials attended the CJTF-OIR change of command ceremony.
- Rear Admiral Hulin officially assumed command from Major General Lambert.
- The high-level Kurdish delegation participated following a formal CENTCOM invitation.
- The KRG delegation joined security talks with Iraqi, Jordanian, and Syrian officials.
Kurdistan Regional Government Peshmerga Minister Shoresh Ismail attended the handover ceremony for the U.S.-led international coalition in Jordan, where Rear Admiral Liam M. Hulin assumed command from Major General Kevin Lambert.
Key Statements and Focus Areas
- The Peshmerga Minister "praised the historical efforts of the coalition forces."
- Shoresh Ismail held a meeting with the Iraqi and Jordanian defense ministers and discussed strengthening relations and coordination.
The Ministry of Peshmerga announced that Minister of Peshmerga Affairs Shoresh Ismail and Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Issa Ozer attended the change of command ceremony for Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) in Jordan on Tuesday.
The high-level delegation attended the U.S.-led international coalition event following an official invitation from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
Overseen by CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, the ceremony marked the official transfer of command for Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve from Major General Kevin Lambert to Rear Admiral Liam M. Hulin.
Ismail "specifically lauded the prominent role of Major General Kevin Lambert in consistently advancing the Peshmerga military reform process and sustaining coordination between the Ministry of Peshmerga and the Coalition."
He congratulated the incoming commander, Rear Admiral Hulin, while wishing Major General Lambert success in his next assignment and reaffirming the ministry's commitment to ongoing joint coordination.
During the Jordan visit, the Peshmerga delegation also participated in a joint meeting held between the Jordanian Ministry of Defense, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, and Syrian officials.
The session was attended by Minister Shoresh Ismail, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Ozer, Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Abdel Amir Rashid Yarallah, and Jordan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Major General Yousef Ahmed al-Hunaiti. The commander of the Jordanian Joint Forces and the Chief of the General Staff of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces also took part.
The meeting emphasized bolstering cooperation and coordination to protect regional security and shared borders.
"They evaluated methods to develop cooperative networks within a region facing severe security obstacles, emphasizing continuous joint efforts to protect mutual security interests," the ministry noted.
The officials stressed that shifting regional developments require expanded military cooperation, field-level coordination, and integrated efforts.
They stated that border protection and neutralizing security threats "remain a shared responsibility that must continue in a manner that reinforces the capacity of regional states to safeguard their security, sovereignty, and stability."
FYI
The military transition from Major General Kevin Lambert to Rear Admiral Liam M. Hulin occurs as coalition forces prepare to wind down its primary footprint in Iraq.
The coalition is shifting from an active combat advisory role toward long-term, bilateral security agreements with both the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government in Baghdad.
Concurrently, the United States continues to support institutional reforms aimed at unifying Peshmerga forces under the single umbrella of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs. Major General Lambert closely managed the memorandum of understanding that links financial and logistical aid to these specific unification benchmarks.
The subsequent defense summit in Amman highlights shared anxieties among Iraqi, Kurdish, Jordanian, and Syrian military leaders regarding cross-border vulnerabilities.
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