Massoud Barzani

Massoud Barzani

Massoud Barzani (born 16 August 1946) was the first president of Iraqi Kurdistan. He became president on 14 June 2005.

Masoud Barzani succeeded his father, the Kurdish nationalist leader Mustafa Barzani, as the leader of KDP in 1979. Working closely with his brother Idris Barzani until Idris's death, Barzani and various other Kurdish groups fought the forces of the Iraqi government in Baghdad during the Iran–Iraq War. For much of this time, the Kurdish leadership was exiled to Iran.

Barzani was born in Iranian Kurdistan, during the short-lived Republic of Mahabad.