Iran Amb. to Iraq dismisses claims of land operation in Kurdistan

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Media reports' claims of Iran’s plans for a ground operation against terrorist groups in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq were dismissed by Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad, Mohammad Kazem Al-e Sadeq during an interview with Iranian Al-Alam TV.

The ambassador said: “The issue of ground advance on Iraqi soil is not true and is basically out of question. We respect the sovereignty of Iraq and have done a lot for the stability and territorial unity of Iraq, for its people, and for the prosperity of that country,” adding that it would be impossible for a ground operation in Iraq to take place. 

According to Al-e Sadeq, Iran held talks with the officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government after they set up a joint security committee to address the issues.

Read more: IRGC launches new series of missiles on terrorist groups in Kurdistan

"We always try to settle problems through dialogue with our brothers in Iraq. The racist terrorist groups have used the Kurdistan Region territories to set up bases and training camps in the past, since the victory of the Islamic Revolution (in Iran), and have recruited Iranian Kurdish youth, both men and women, for their military subversive purposes," Al-e Sadeq stated, as he further noted his country supplied Iraq with more than 70 documents regarding training camps, gathering locations and armed units of the groups in the Kurdistan Region.

Tasnim News Agency reported on November 14 that the IRGC's Ground Force hammered separatist terror organizations' positions with numerous rocket launchers, precision-strike weaponry, and drones. Iran's Foreign Ministry affirmed that military action against separatist groups is legitimate retaliation for their violations against Iran's security and borders, and was done to protect national security.

"Our military retaliation is within international laws and is not a violation of Iraqi sovereignty," the ministry stressed.

This comes after the Komalah and Democrat terrorist groups attempted to infiltrate Iran through its border cities, with the IRGC stating: “These terrorists - who are backed by the global arrogance and are based in the Iraqi northern region – were forced to flee the country after accepting heavy casualties.”

In its statement, the IRGC stressed that officials of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region have been warned previously about the terrorist groups in the region but no attention was paid to the warnings and no preventative measures were taken. 

When the attacks began in September, the operation carried out by Tehran's forces was part of efforts to ensure "durable security" along the Iraqi-Iranian borders and "punish criminal terrorists", the IRGC clarified.