No one likes winning more than President Trump. He has a chance to prove it on Monday, when Iraqi Kurds hold a referendum on their independence.

There is no shortage of losers in the Middle East, but anyone in the business of spotting winners should bet on an independent Kurdish state. Backing the Kurds is not only strategically smart — they are a steadfast ally in the fight against the Islamic State and Islamist extremism, doing battle alongside American soldiers — it’s also the right thing to do.

Yet the Trump administration has worked to prevent the referendum, arguing that with the war against the Islamic State yet to be won, a vote could risk further dividing an already fractious coalition. In a statement, it called the referendum “provocative and destabilizing.”

This is a serious mistake. In failing to offer full-throated support for Kurdish independence, the United States is focusing solely on the short-term volatility of the region and overlooking serious medium- and long-term opportunities.