Iraqi court issues arrest warrant for Kurdish vice president

BAGHDAD – A Baghdad court has issued an arrest warrant for the vice president of Iraq's Kurdish region for saying Iraqi forces were "occupying" the disputed Kirkuk province.

The warrant against Kosrat Rasul issued Thursday is unlikely to be executed, as federal courts have no enforceable authority in the autonomous Kurdish region. The court accused Rasul of "insulting" Iraq's armed forces, which is forbidden by Iraqi law.

Federal forces supported by Iranian-sponsored militias rolled into the oil-rich city of Kirkuk on Monday. Kurdish forces, which had seized the area during the Islamic State group's rampage across Iraq in 2014, withdrew after brief clashes.

Iraqi government forces have since regained control of nearly all the territory the Kurds seized in 2014.