![President of Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG) Masoud Barzani (C) welcomes Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis (not seen) in Erbil, Iraq on 22 August 2017 [Yunus Keleş/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017_08_22-Secretary-of-Defense-Minister-James-Mattis-in-Iraq20170822_2_25373686_25159687.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
![President of Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG) Masoud Barzani (C) welcomes Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis (not seen) in Erbil, Iraq on 22 August 2017 [Yunus Keleş/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017_08_22-Secretary-of-Defense-Minister-James-Mattis-in-Iraq20170822_2_25373686_25159683.jpg?w=797&h=531&ssl=1 "Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis in Iraq")
President of Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG) Masoud Barzani (C) welcomes Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis (not seen) in Erbil, Iraq on 22 August 2017 [Yunus Keleş/Anadolu Agency]
![President of Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG) Masoud Barzani (C) welcomes Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis (not seen) in Erbil, Iraq on 22 August 2017 [Yunus Keleş/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017_08_22-Secretary-of-Defense-Minister-James-Mattis-in-Iraq20170822_2_25373686_25159684.jpg?w=395&h=264&ssl=1 "Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis in Iraq")
President of Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG) Masoud Barzani (C) welcomes Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis (not seen) in Erbil, Iraq on 22 August 2017 [Yunus Keleş/Anadolu Agency]
![President of Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG) Masoud Barzani (C) welcomes Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis (not seen) in Erbil, Iraq on 22 August 2017 [Yunus Keleş/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017_08_22-Secretary-of-Defense-Minister-James-Mattis-in-Iraq20170822_2_25373686_25159685.jpg?w=395&h=263&ssl=1 "Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis in Iraq")
President of Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG) Masoud Barzani (C) welcomes Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis (not seen) in Erbil, Iraq on 22 August 2017 [Yunus Keleş/Anadolu Agency]
![President of Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG) Masoud Barzani (C) welcomes Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis (not seen) in Erbil, Iraq on 22 August 2017 [Yunus Keleş/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017_08_22-Secretary-of-Defense-Minister-James-Mattis-in-Iraq20170822_2_25373686_25159686.jpg?w=596&h=397&ssl=1 "Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis in Iraq")
President of Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG) Masoud Barzani (C) welcomes Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis (not seen) in Erbil, Iraq on 22 August 2017 [Yunus Keleş/Anadolu Agency]
![President of Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG) Masoud Barzani (C) welcomes Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis (not seen) in Erbil, Iraq on 22 August 2017 [Yunus Keleş/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017_08_22-Secretary-of-Defense-Minister-James-Mattis-in-Iraq20170822_2_25373686_25159687.jpg?w=596&h=397&ssl=1 "Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis in Iraq")
President of Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG) Masoud Barzani (C) welcomes Secretary of Defense Minister James Mattis (not seen) in Erbil, Iraq on 22 August 2017 [Yunus Keleş/Anadolu Agency]