Who is Sirwan Barzani?

Sirwan Barzani is a Peshmerga commander turned businessman who gained prominence during the war against the Islamic State. He oversees Sector 6 of the Ministry of Peshmerga, responsible for the defense of Erbil.

In addition to his military role, he is the Co-founder and Chairman of Korek Telecom, which serves around seven million subscribers and operates nearly 3,500 towers across Iraq. His business success has been widely attributed to his close ties with state institutions and the Barzani family, an allegation he denies.

As the nephew of former Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani and cousin of Nechirvan Barzani, Sirwan has maintained a strong political and economic presence. However, he recently lost a $1.3 billion lawsuit in the U.S. and continues to run multiple businesses in Erbil and Lebanon.